


Charming Family Drabbles

by loisselina (LoboMarshall)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Daddy Charming, Drabbles, Family, Gen, Nightmares, charming family - Freeform, charming family drabbes, momma snow, the charmings - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-09
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-03-11 09:11:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 79,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3321890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoboMarshall/pseuds/loisselina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of Charming family drabbles - prompts warmly welcomed!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please note I'm an English person trying to write American speech - so please forgive any mistakes.

David didn’t know whether it was his previous life as a shepherd, having fought in a war against an evil queen, or his newly regained paternal instincts kicking in – but the smallest of creeks had woke him in the early hours of the morning. He looked over at his wife to find she was sleeping curled next to him, and his new born son was tucked peacefully in the Moses basket beside the bed. David frowned slightly before getting out of the bed to check upon the noise.  
  
He entered the kitchen area to see his grown daughter staring at the un-boiled kettle upon the hob, yet to notice her father. At seeing his adult daughter awake at that time he frowned, he thought that after her traveling back in time and back again she would surely be sleeping in her bed...   
‘Y’know to get the kettle to work you tend to have to turn the hob on’ he joked to her in order to make her aware of his presence.  
  
Emma jumped startled by the appearance of her father. ‘Shi-… you gave me a heart attack,’ her hand flying to her heart, as David approached the kitchen, turning on light above the hood. ‘Wait did I wake you up? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, I just –‘  
  
‘Hey, hey, hey, it’s okay Emma,’ He placated ‘Now, why don’t you sit yourself down whilst I get us some nice hot chocolate? I know it normally knocks your mom out.’  
  
Emma obeyed and sat at the island, but eyed the pot David was putting on the hob carefully, before stubbornly stating ‘I was actually just going to make some coffee, so it’s okay you don’t like have to make me hot chocolate or anything’ she bumbled.  
  
David stared at her with a shocked expression ‘Wait so you were going to make coffee at-‘, he stopped to check his phone which was charging on the counter, ‘3am? Emma, you just got back from the past, and the past few days have hardly been a walk in the park, between you losing your magic, saving your brother, and defeating Zelena. You should really be sleeping.’  
  
‘Maybe I’m not tired.’   
  
‘Uh-hur, that’s why you were going to make coffee?’ He said giving her a pointed look. Emma suddenly looked down, subdued until her father had finished making the hot chocolate and was pushing a mug in front of her and passing her the cinnamon container, before sitting on the stool beside hers. ‘So want to tell me about it?’   
  
‘About what?’ She questioned staring at the hot chocolate in front of her, adding cinnamon to the top, avoiding her father’s eyes.  
  
David sighed internally at her stubbornness, ‘About why you’re so determined to avoid sleep.’ he replied softly.  
  
‘I’m not.’ She replied quickly, staring into her father’s eyes to try and force him to believe her.  
  
‘Em,’ he said calmly, ‘where do you think your super power comes from?’ He out stared her, as she sighed.  
  
‘It’s just in the past, I got to see you and mom fall in love, I got to actually be part of your adventured, and it just … it made everything so real.’ She paused tears starting to well in her eyes, ‘But then mom got burned, and I couldn’t do anything – I just felt so helpless. And you were there, but you weren’t you yet, and I just…. I just needed my dad’, tears rolled out of her eyes as she tried not to become hysterical.   
  
David pulled her in close, cradling her head to his chest, just as he had done all those years before as he raced to the wardrobe, ‘I’m so sorry Emma. If I had known you were my daughter, I would never have let you go through that. But I’m here now, it’s okay I’m here, I got you princess’, he soothed. After a couple of minutes he realised why his daughter was trying to make coffee at 3am. ‘Em, are you scared you’re going to have a nightmare about it?’, he felt a nod against his chest. He pulled her back slightly, ‘Good thing your old dad’s got a few tricks up his sleeves to deal with nightmares then isn’t it?’ he used the pads of his thumbs to wipe the tears from her cheeks.  
  
After they had both finished their hot chocolates, David stood up to rinse out the mugs and leave on the draining board until morning. He then walked over holding out a hand to pull his daughter up. He grabbed a pack of matches and a candle before leading her upstairs.  
  
David let go of her hand gesturing she should get into bed whilst he lit the candle. ‘You know I don't know if a candle will work…’ Emma mumbled as she sat with her head against the headboard, speaking quietly so not to wake Henry who was asleep on the other side of the room.  
  
‘It might help if you led down’ David chided softly, tucking her in after she had led down.  
  
‘Dad,’ Emma started softly, ‘you know I defeated a dragon right?’ David nodded in affirmation, beaming down proudly at his daughter, noting how she had called him dad for the second time that evening. ‘Well…. how did you slay your one?’ She mumbled, her had toying with the edge of her baby blanket which was peeking out from underneath her pillow.   
David’s heart melted when he caught sight of it, as then melted even more when he realised that this was his grown up daughter’s way of asking for a bedtime story. He sat down on the edge of her bed and began the story.  
‘Well you know, I was never actually supposed to slay the dragon.’ Before the story had even finished Emma was out like a light. David smiled softly, stood up, then bent down to kiss his daughters forehead. ‘Goodnight princess, sweet dreams.’ He whispered as he extinguished the candle and headed downstairs.   
  
Stopping only to turn off the kitchen light, David was soon climbing back into his bed beside his wife, who stirred next to him.   
‘Did Neal wake up?’ She questioned sleepily.  
‘Nope, our other offspring.’ He answered, pulling his wife close and allowing her to rest her head against his chest.  
‘Wait, Emma? Is she okay?’ She replied quickly, sounding more awake and rather concerned.  
‘Yeah, she was just being stubborn and trying to avoid sleep. Don’t worry, I got her to sleep pretty quickly’   
‘Good.’ She muttered against his chest.   
‘You know what though?’  
‘What?’ She asked looking up at him.  
‘This totally counts as my turn, which means you get to be the one to wake up when Prince Neal demands it’  
‘Ha,’ she laughed quietly, ‘I suppose you’re right.’ She paused for a minute before adding, ‘this must be what it feels like to have two kids’.  
David laughed slightly, before pulling her into a sleepy embrace, as they both surrendered to sleep, whilst neither of their children needed them.


	2. A Mother's protection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Based upon a prompt anon - Prompt: Emma gets in trouble with one of her parents and goes to the other for "protection"

As Snow heard the door to the apartment slam shut she closed her eyes and braced herself for the oncoming storm.  
'Mom!' she opened her eyes to see her adult daughter come storming into her and charming's bedroom, in which she was folding up clothes. 'Your husband has lost his mind' she exclaimed in discontentment, as she threw herself onto her parent's bed.   
'Emma! What do you mean? Where is your _father_ ' she asked stressing the word father, to her daughter who was already heading toward the kitchen. Snow followed her starting to feel anxious to the sour looks her daughter was giving the toaster.   
'He's heading here now, I managed to get here before him' her daughter muttered, before turning her head to face Snow, who was now stood beside her, with a new enlightened hope upon her face. 'Mom, can you back me up, please.' She half begged, dragging out the please, as she painted innocence upon her face.   
'Emma, I can't back you up if I don't know what happened.' Snow replied giving Emma a pointed look.  
'I was just doing some official sheriff business, then suddenly dad appeared trying to lecture me. He's obviously lost his mind, 'cause he was lecturing me like I was Henry's age' Emma quickly explained – staring at her hands the whole time. Before Snow could call Emma out on her obvious deception, the door flew open again.  
  
'Emma Swan. We are not finished talking' Charming almost growled as he shut the door and turned towards the kitchen. He was angrier than Snow had seen him in a while – almost as angry as he had been when Zelena had taken Neal.  
'Well mom agrees with me, so you can stop lecturing me now. If you want someone to baby your child is in his crib.' Emma ranted – starting to become angry again, as she went and sat at the table, as if she were thinking the argument had been solved with that sentence.   
Charming looked at his wife with an expression of shock and disbelief, 'You agree with her?'  
'Both of you stop shouting!' Snow exclaimed annoyed, forcing both Charming and Emma to calm slightly. 'I have just got Neal to sleep.' Snow herself took a few calming breathes before resuming the conversation.'Okay: One I did not agree with you Emma, in fact I haven't even been told what this whole thing is about.' She turned toward her husband who was leaning against the door, as if guarding it.  
'Emma said that she was doing some sheriff business and you just came and started lecturing her?' Snow asked puzzled.  
Charming scoffed, 'No, she was not doing sheriff business. Our daughter, after being warned by the both of us to leave Regina alone to cool down, decided that she would pretend to be going out on a call. Luckily I thought she was up to something so I followed her. I managed to get to her just in time, and managed to ensure Regina that I'd keep her away. She's lucky she didn't get her heart taken!' he said, glaring at his daughter.   
Emma quickly glanced up at her parent's faces, but soon looked back down at her hands due to the hard looks they were now both giving her. 'So much for getting Mom on my side.' she thought.   
'Wait' Snow said suddenly puzzled 'If you and Emma were together… How did you end up back here before your father?' Snow asked staring intently at her daughter.  
Emma gave a deep sigh, 'Well as dad was lecturing me like a child, I opened up the cruiser door and ran to here.'  
'I was only so late because I was searching other places like Granny's for Emma' Charming added.  
Snow closed her eyes and pursed her lips for a moment, feeling as if she were back being a teacher, before turning to Emma. 'Okay, so you disobeyed myself and your father and went and endangered your life. After which you ran off from your father who was lecturing you, after he had to save you. Then you ran here, leaving him to wonder where on earth you had gone. Then you tried to convince me to stop your father from lecturing you by not telling me the full story.' Snow stood in silence of a moment, allowing her words to sink into Emma. And cooling her own temper before she could start lecturing her daughter - this was one her husband had to sort out with her. Neal started to cry, breaking apart the tense silence.  
Snow turned to Charming, 'Okay I'll get our son, can you please deal with our daughter?' she headed towards her and Charming's room but stopped near the stairs and turned her head over her shoulders. 'And Emma? I am always on your side. Just sometimes I don't think you know your side.' She continued to her room to feed her son, leaving a much calmed down husband, and a very guilty looking daughter.  
  
Charming sighed gently before going to sit down at the table beside his daughter. 'Look kiddo, I know you've always had to look out for yourself, and I know that's my fault.'   
Emma started opening her mouth to defend him from himself, when he simply held up a hand quietening her.   
'I'm not blaming myself I'm just stating a fact. But me and your mother are here now, and that means you don't have to look out for yourself any more. But it also means you have a responsibility to look after yourself. This isn't just about you anymore.' He lifted her chin with his hand so she'd have no choice but to look him in the eyes. 'Em, I don't want Neal to grow up without having his big sister to annoy, I don't want Henry to have to grow up without you – let alone for the reason to be his other mother. And your mother and I – we can't lose you again, you're our child just as much as Neal is – and I would do anything for you. So please just listen to us. Trust us.'   
Emma nodded, trying hard to ignore the tears forming in her eyes. She took a leap of faith and threw her arms open hugging her dad – hoping he had forgiven her for how she had behaved. Charming put his arms around his daughter right away, and kissed the top of her head. 'And don't ever run away from me again please?' He whispered into her scalp, feeling her nod into his chest. 'I know you were just trying to do the right thing. The hero thing. But sadly for you, you've inherited my tunnel vision according to your mother. But that means you have to stop and think about the consequences of what could happen instead of going straight down the tunnel okay?.' He paused for a second. 'Also you know you can't run away from me, you do know our family motto applies to you as well right? I will always find you.' He joked.   
Emma pulled back laughing quietly, tears having dried upon her cheeks and her father's shirt, 'You know even for you that's pretty cheesy right?' she laughed.   
  
Snow entered the room again – having heard most of the conversation between the father and daughter and guessing the rest. She walked over to her husband and daughter, her baby cradled in her arms. She stared at her daughter with pure love. 'Emma, because you did put yourself in danger, and as both the reigning monarch of this town and your mother, you're off sheriff duty for a week.'  
'Wait you're trying to ground me-!' Emma stopped her shocked exclamation at the warning looks both her parents were giving her. 'Fine' she begrudgingly relinquished. Earning her warm smiles from both parents. She abruptly released a cheeky smile, 'You know, you guys are getting pretty good at this parenting thing. But you know Neal won't stay a baby forever… And when he's older you'll have both of us – and I'll make sure to teach him my tricks' she partially joked – however silently vowed she would carry out the threat.   
Her parents exchanged fond looks to each other, happy to hear a sentence reminiscent of an average family. 'God help us.' Her father joked. 'Tell you what, why don't we all go out to Granny's whilst Henry's at his friends?' he suggested.  
'I thought I was grounded?' Emma huffed, half jokily.  
'You're grounded to us' Her mother answered, as she got Neal ready to go out, and Charming threw Emma her coat. All enjoying the peace whilst it lasted.


	3. Of Names and Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slight au in which Neal's party celebration thingy takes place at the end of 4a

Emma sat in a middle booth in Granny's diner – attempting to simply drink her spiked coke and avoid talking to anyone.  
They had finally managed to defeat the Snow Queen.  
A bittersweet victory, as although Emma knew the love she had from her wasn't the selfless love that her teenage-self had believed her foster mother had exhibited; but it was still the only love Emma could remember having.  
Added to the fact that her new friends has gone back to Arendelle, and her previous ones from before she broke the first curse were already her mother's close friends. Emma felt as alone as she had every time she went to live in a different strangers home.

Despite saying they were going to avoid pomp and ceremony, her mother and father had decided to follow tradition and christen their son. They had named Archie and Regina his godparents, though as one had once been framed for 'murdering' the other, Emma wondered what chance her baby brother had. They had finally settled on having Leopold as his middle name- as a tribute to Snow's father. Emma took another large swig of her drink – feeling she would never get used to the bizarre workings of the town.  
Emma cringed internally at the familiar feeling inside her: the feeling she had every time a foster sibling had got chosen to be fostered or, in rarer occurrence, adopted.

She  _didn't_  feel jealous of her little brother she argued to herself.

'Oh who am I kidding?' She thought bitterly.  
Her brother got a life, granted it wasn't in a castle in a fairy tale land being a prince, but it was still a good life – with parents who loved him, always knowing where he'd be sleeping, and would have food by the plenty.  
All Emma had got was her father nearly killed, shoved through a portal to another world into the arms of a child - who would of course eventually abandon her, and the pressure of lifting a curse to ensure an entire kingdoms true lives could be known: all on a stomach empty of her mothers milk.

Snow sighed and stared into her husband's eyes, who quickly glanced over at their daughter and sighed himself.  
Snow turned to her step-mother who stood beside the couple, 'Regina could you-'  
'Hold my godson whilst you two go deal with your overgrown toddler of a daughter?' Regina interrupted with a sarcastic edge.  
'Oh please,' she added as she saw the identical shocked face on the couple, 'she's sat with the same expression Henry used to have when I told him he had to eat his vegetables.'  
After smiling slightly at that memory, she took the baby into her arms, starting to talk to the baby in baby talk – pointing out the different lights which decorated the diner.

Emma sat gazing into her drink, as though trying to decipher the future from the 5th full pint glass. Suddenly it was moved beyond her reach, and she felt her father sit down beside her in the booth, and saw her mother appear opposite – attempting to block the exit roots.  
'There's always the window' she thought bitterly.

The three of them sat in a tense silence for a few minutes. Charming and Snow staring holes into their daughter, who valiantly attempted to ignore them.  
Emma sighed, 'Okay you guys know that no one else can understand you when you have your silent eye conversations right? And can I get my drink back?' She huffed, 'Please?' she added almost venomously.  
'No, I think you've had enough.' Charming answered with a stern look upon his face, telling her that that wasn't a suggestion.

She suddenly felt like a teenager who had snuck out with a friend to secretly go to a party.

'Emma.' Her mother waited until Emma turned her head to face her, 'What's going on?'  
'Nothing' Emma muttered looking down.  
'Emma, please talk to us.' Her father pleaded softly, 'We're your parents you can tell us.'  
'I'm just not used to this whole family thing, that's all.' Emma tried to fib – staring at her hands the entire time.  
Charming raised an eyebrow at his wife, showing he had noticed the lie, the look on her face showed she had too.  
'Emma –'Her mom started, to suddenly be interrupted by her daughter.

'I'm not jealous of Neal!'

Both her parents looked down to hide amused smiles – this was not how they had imagined sibling jealousy to be like when Snow was pregnant with Emma and already dreaming of having more: but they'd take what they were given.

Emma closed her eyes a second and evened out her breathing, 'It's just… I see all Neal has… And I just… I just think about what I missed out on.' She stopped and closed her eyes.  
She was not going to cry.  
She was not.  
She suddenly felt her father's hand holding hers, squeezing slightly, encouraging her to continue.  
'I just see how many people there are around him, everyone he has to support him – all the family, even god parents now!' She exclaimed slightly, then added quieter, 'It just reminds me of how alone I was – I mean I didn't even have a middle name to get yelled at with!'  
She finally looked at her parent's faces. Both her mom and dad were trying hard to disguise smiles.

She huffed out a breath and looked down – 'So much for being able to tell them anything.'

'Em.' Her father started, despite not being able to see his face, she could tell he was smiling. 'Emma.' He tried again adding authority to his voice, causing her to feel younger than Henry. She slowly looked up, wondering since when she had been one to obey authority figures.  
'Emma we're only smiling because well-'  
'You already have both of those things.' Her mom finished, smiling fondly at her daughter.

Emma looked up confused, 'Wait, what?' She demanded.

Her dad looked at her with the same fondness as her mom had been. 'Your name is Emma Ruth.' He paused allowing the new information to sink in.  
'Ruth was my mother. When I was trying to escape from King George and his men she was hit by an arrow. I, your mother, and Lancelot took her to Lake Nostos in order to cure her. Whilst we were on the way your mother and her were talking, and your mother told her that she had been kidnapped by King George, and cursed so she couldn't have children. My mother told her that she was sure the lake could cure her. But when we got there it had dried up.'  
He stopped to hear a gasp from Emma, he chuckled slightly  
'You really haven't looked through Henry's book have you?' He asked amused.  
Gaining a sheepish shrug and smile in return.  
Charming had noticed that his wife had gotten up in search of two people during his story. He looked back at Emma to see if she had noticed the disappearance of her mom, but found she was staring intently at him instead.

'So? What happened, did you get the water? And if mom was cursed, how are me and Neal here? And-'

'- Tell you what, I'll finish it tonight, yeah?' He interrupted hopefully.

She smiled and nodded, as his wife approached the table with two people following her.

'Emma.' Her mom started, 'this is your god mother Red, and you god father Leroy' She said, very much like how she had introduced Regina and Archie to Neal earlier.

'I know we're probably not the best role models, especially in our Storybrooke lives…' Red blurted out.  
'You're telling me sister!' Leroy added – remembering the town drunk version of himself.  
'But you know we're still here if you like need advice, or like to bitch about your parents or whatever.' Red finished, smiling at the fake glare coming from Snow.

'I have a werewolf and one of the seven dwarfs as my god parents. That is so cool.' Emma breathed out without meaning to, earning laughter from all the people around the booth.

Charming smiled fondly at his daughter before his smile turned mischievous and he stood up, grabbing Emma's confiscated drink and a spoon which was laying abandoned on the table.

Hitting the glass Charming shouted, 'Please can I have everyone's attention!'  
Emma shot her mother an embarrassed look which screamed 'Save me!'  
Her mother simply returned her a fond look telling her, 'You're on your own.'

'Thank you.' Charming shouted having gained everyone's attention. 'Thank you all for coming here today to celebrate my son. However I now officially present to you, only thirty years late, Princess Emma Ruth Swan!'

The room erupted into cheers for the saviour, Snow subtly wiped a tear from her eye: they had finally been able to announce that Emma was their daughter. Charming pulled his daughter into a side hug, being slightly surprised that she had instantly relaxed into the touch.

Later into the night, Charming and Snow had finished saying goodbye to all the party attendees, and making sure Henry was set to spend the night at Regina's. Then had helped Red and Granny tidy up.

They walked hand in hand over to the booth where Emma had been holding her brother and telling him about her adventures, or as she had put it 'teaching him my tricks'. The sight that met them could easily melt a frozen heart.  
Emma sat slouched leaning against the wall and the booth, holding her brother tight in her arms, both of their eyes closed asleep, but still had their turned to each other, and Neal had tight hold of his sister's finger.  
Both Charming and Snow took pictures on their phones – knowing this picture would end up printed out and stuck everywhere around the apartment.

'You get the prince, I'll get the princess?' Charming suggested. Snow quickly took Neal from Emma's arms, causing her to stir.  
'Emma,' Charming called softly, 'time to wake up now kiddo. Time to go home.'  
Emma opened her eyes slightly then shook her head 'No'.  
'Come on princess. If you don't move I'll carry you.' He warned.  
Emma opened her eyes to glare at him, crossed her arms and shook her head 'No.' again.  
Charming sighed slightly, trying to ignore the chuckling coming from his wife, Red and, Granny.  
He bent his knees and swooped his adult daughter up, he expected her to protest when she realized he was being serious, but instead she just laid her head upon his shoulder and gripped onto his shirt like it was her blanket, and closed her eyes.  
He smiled down at her, with all the love in his heart, the love of 28, almost 29, years lost.  
He looked up as he noticed a bright light flash in his direction, to see Red taking a picture with Snow's phone.

They quickly bid their friends goodbye and left the diner, as the family they should have been years ago. Charming deciding that the rest of the story could definitely be finished the next day.

 


	4. Nightmares and Bets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is for the prompt : 'Emma mumbles Daddy in her sleep and Charming hears and teases her when she wakes up (in a cute way obv)'  
> Enjoy!

Charming reclined exhausted in one corner of the sofa. Both he and Emma had been working flat out in order to clean up after the Snow Queen's curse. There had been a lot of damage to property from people fighting – but there had also been a lot of new arguments sprung up from the hidden hate, which had been revealed during those few cursed hours. Charming had a feeling that Archie would be having a busy couple of months. They had only recently got back to the apartment, having stayed late to at least start on paperwork during a rushed late dinner of takeout from Granny's. Charming sighed as he thought about all the paperwork that was still piled upon the two desks. It would definitely take them another week to get through, and that was if they didn't get any call outs.

After they had arrived back at the apartment Charming tried to get Emma to go to bed , however made the error of phrasing it as a command. Which had caused Emma to stay up to watch TV, out of spite. Charming had simply sat next to her, he was damned if her was going to leave his daughter to sleep on the uncomfortable couch when she had a comfortable bed upstairs. He settled for shooting her disapproving glances every now and again, and sighing a lot – hoping she'd give up and go to bed.  
Charming shot her another glance, and waited for her shoulders to tense – like they normally did when she was defying rules or her parents. It took Charming a few minutes to realise she was now fast asleep, curled up with her head on her shoulder.

Charming took in her features; his blonde hair, Snows chin, the way she looked so young whilst she slept – so unguarded, so unlike her guarded restless sleep whilst they were in Neverland.  
As he stared at her he was cast back over 30 years: Snow telling him she was pregnant, him picking her up and spinning her around, before placing her on the ground and kneeling before her. He had stroked her barely there bump and whispered 'Hey there baby, I'm your Daddy. I'm gonna take good care of you, I promise. I won't let anyone hurt you.'  
His mind started to replay his battle with Regina's knights as he raced to the wardrobe, and the fear that filled him when the wardrobe was being forced open, as he lay powerless to stop them. His wife's words played in his head during all this 'Take the baby to the wardrobe… We have to give her, her best chance.'  
He dodged the black knights, trying to hold onto Emma tightly enough to make sure she didn't get hurt, but also gently enough that she didn't get hurt. He ran into the nursery taking her over to the wardrobe which should have carried her and Snow, the wardrobe which should have taken her to salvation – but instead had treated her so cruelly.

'Daddy…' The sound of Emma's voice pulled him out of his reverie. Did she just? No she couldn't have.  
'Daddy,' she repeated.  
Charming certain of what she said this time. He knelt down in front of her, seeing that she was tossing her head from side to side – obviously in the midst of a nightmare.  
'Kill the dragon…' She murmured.  
Charming's heart did back flips as his hand automatically went to her cheek, stroking it to calm her down.

'Looks like you've got the magic touch.' A voice came from behind him which would have made anybody else jump – but after being married to the bandit for so long, Charming had managed to resist.

'You hear what she said?' he questioned, moving over to where Snow stood – being careful to talk in hushed tones so not to wake up their now peaceful princess.

'Yeah.' Snow smiled, noting the twinkle in her husband's eye. 'But sadly now you need to go wake up daddy's girl over there. It's getting pretty late and I'm guessing you're both back in work early tomorrow.'

Charming turned to look at his daughter, who was looking so much more peaceful that he'd seen in a long time, and cocked his head. He turned back to his wife, grinning at her.  
'Go and pull back the covers on her bed?' He requested.

Snow smiled fondly in return, then headed upstairs.

Charming walked over and picked up his daughter, much like he had done so many years previous. She was almost worryingly light to pick up, however any worries melted away when her hand held tightly onto his shirt and she nestled her head into his chest.

Snow was waiting by the side of the bed as Charming carried their daughter in, obviously wanting to say goodnight to her. Charming bent over slightly to lay Emma down, but found her grip upon his shirt tighten.  
'Daddy.' She huffed in her sleep.  
'Help' Charming pleaded to his wife, who was stifling laughter. Together they managed to free Charming, and Snow pressed Emma's baby blanket into her hands before she attempted to grab Charming again. They both pressed kisses onto her forehead and bid her sweet dreams, before heading to their room themselves – to get as much sleep as possible before their other child needed them.

Emma woke up with a start the next morning, already smelling the breakfast, and more importantly coffee, being made the floor under hers. She climbed out of bed surprised to see herself wearing yesterday's clothes. Had she been that tired that she'd fallen asleep in her clothes? She tried to remember the previous night, well the early hours of the morning technically, but all she could recall was a strange dream involving a dragon. She quickly showered and dressed before heading downstairs.

'Morning princess.' her dad called over to her as soon as her foot hit the last step. His voice had a slight teasing tone, she looked over to see her mom and dad involved in one of their silent conversations. She sat down at the table where her coffee already sat before bothering to comment. 'Can you two not eye sex each other at breakfast?' she shot sarcastically.

'We're not eye sexing each other.' Charming said before adding slightly quieter, 'Trust me Em, if we were eye sexing each other you'd know.'

'Dad.' Emma groaned, dragging out the word, allowing her head to hit the table.

'Emma, you realize you have a  _baby_  brother right?' her mom added, putting emphasis on the word baby, putting a bowl of cereal before her eldest. 'We don't need to have a how babies are made chat do we?' She quipped. Causing Charming to almost choke his coffee out with laughter, and Emma to glare daggers into her mother.

 

* * *

'Okay.' Emma huffed 'What the hell's going on.'

'What do you mean?' Charming asked, puzzled as he looked up from his paperwork.

'Well since we got to the station two hours ago, you've been acting really freakin' weird. You kept asking if we've had any problems with Maleficent or dragons, or joking about dragons. And you keep referring to yourself as 'Daddy', like saying 'Aw, do you need daddy to go get us some coffee?' and it's just really freaking me out. So what is it?' She demanded

Charming smiled slightly, 'It's nothing Emma, everything's fi-'

'Are you ill?' Emma interrupted. Charming sat with his mouth agape at Emma's sudden question.  
'Because if you're ill we can get help, and if it's something to do with Neverland then we can figure it out – I mean I know Gold's gone but we can…' Emma rambled, her voice breaking, only coming to a stop when Charming came over and perched on her desk.

'Emma, I'm not ill. At all.' He reassured her, his heart breaking at how worked up she seemed to be getting. 'And I would tell you, because if I learned anything after Neverland, it's that I shouldn't lie to you or your mom.' He stared her in the eye, reassuring her that he was telling the truth.  
'Earlier I was just teasing you slightly.' He looked guilty as he admitted it 'Last night when you feel asleep downstairs, you were talking out loud in your sleep. You begged 'daddy to kill the dragon'' He smirked as her face grew red as he finished his last sentence.

'Oh god.' Emma cringed. Putting her head in her hands.

'Don't worry princess, daddy will always be here to slay dragons for you.' He only half joked. 'Although you know you have helped me win a bet.' Emma's head shot up, curious. 'I bet your mom when she was pregnant with you, that you'd be a daddy's girl.'

'Oh, so what do I get for you winning the bet?' She inquired, not bothering to protest being called a daddy's girl.

'Hmm.' Charming pretending to think. 'How about lunch on me at Granny's? And me not telling your mom about all the candy you have in your drawer for when she's on your 'sugar interventions'?' He proposed raising his eyebrow.

'Deal.' Emma accepted instantly, she would have done it for the drawer staying secret – lunch was definitely a bonus.

He shot his trademark charming smiles back at her, before helping her up and leading her out of the station.

'Wait, what do you get for winning?' Emma asked as his arm around her shoulder pulled her against his side.

He chuckled softly, 'I'm nighty nine percent sure you don't want to know that, Em.'

Emma groaned as he led her out the doors. Yep she would definitely need to bleach her brain.

 


	5. Tantrum and Silence Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anon requested Emma having a tantrum as an adult and getting the silent treatment from her paretns - this is a slightly different twist on the subject but hopefully you'll like it.
> 
> Written before 4b

Emma sat silently at her desk in her office. Emma had screwed up. It definitely wasn't the first time Emma had ever screwed up – hell it wasn't even the first time since she had moved to Storybrooke. But this time she knew it was different.

Since the queens of darkness, or whatever the hell they'd been calling themselves, had come into town, Emma's magic had been messing up. She'd try to turn on a light with her magic and she'd blow the lights up, or she'd try to summon something, only for her magic to be so weak it'd fail and leave smashed glass all over the floor. Only the other day they'd been battling one of the queens when Emma had tried to throw a protective force field over Henry, only for it to be too weak. Luckily Regina was there and able to save him – if not Emma shuddered to think of what would have happened. They'd all agreed that it'd be safer for Henry to stay at Regina's for the time being. Snow and Charming had tried to convince Emma that it was for the best, but they hadn't done much to diminish Emma's feelings that she had failed.

Later on that day Snow and Charming had gone on a run to the grocery store refusing Emma's offer to watch Neal and leaving Emma on her own in the apartment. Emma had had enough, she put her music on loud and tried her magic again.

When the Charmings returned not half an hour later they found the apartment wrecked. There was broken glass everywhere, water was pooled on the floor, broken plates and dishes were on the counter. Emma was currently standing in the centre of the mess stabbing the toaster with Charming's pocket knife that he had left in the kitchen. Emma had swiftly turned on her heels when she heard them come in, glaring daggers at her parents.

'Emma?' Her father questioned quietly surveying the damage around the apartment, which luckily seemed detained to the kitchen.

'What?' she spat venomously.

'Emma.' Her mother said sharply warning her to calm down. 'Did you do this?' Snow remembered the day she had come back to the apartment in a similar state of disarray, when she was just Mary Margret.

'No.' She reply shortly, giving looks that could kill. 'You two did.'

Charming raised his eyebrows, which were both warning her to be quiet and begging her to explain herself.

'You two could have left me. You could have left me and Henry in New York, alone. You should have been the ones to stop Zelena in your land. But no you had to come back and demand my help. All so that you could keep my replacement safe! Then I get – get sent back in time! Do you know how not normal that is? I have to go make sure you two would get together so that I would be born to save your son!' Emma shouted at them. Despite knowing that most the things she was shouting about weren't true in the slightest, she needed to yell – so she allowed her anger to twist events. 'Then I had to watch you die' She directed at Snow. 'And you didn't even know or care who I was! And you gave up your heart – you would have died and I wouldn't have known who you were.' She half screamed at her father. Turning her back she continued to attack the toaster with the knife – ignoring how blood started pouring from her forearm where the knife slipped, which luckily neither of her parents saw.

Charming stared at his wife, waiting until she looked back at him to engage her in a silent conversation. Concern, confusion, and anger were etched on his face, whereas Snow's face was calm. She nodded her head toward the bookcase with a questioning look on her face. 'A book? But the last book he read was…' Charming thought to himself, puzzled for a moment then nodded. Charming walked with the grocery bags into the kitchen, where Emma was still having a tantrum. He navigated around the kitchen as though she wasn't in there at all, not even glancing at her, before going and sitting with his wife and son on the sofa. Emma carried on swearing for a couple more minutes, before stomping upstairs to her room and slamming the door.

Snow and Charming glanced at each other which exasperated expressions.

'Has she ever…?' Charming questioned, trailing off the end of his sentence as he walked over the kitchen to turn off the music still playing and to get a better look at the mess.

'Once. When Regina fired her, before the curse broke.' She walked over to lay her somehow sleeping son in his crib, apparently he took after his sister in sleeping like the cursed. 'But it was definitely not as bad as this.' She joined her husband in the kitchen, sighing at the mess.

They set about cleaning up the broken glass and plates.

'Emma have something against this toaster?' Charming asked eyeing the toaster which was lying on the floor in a state of disrepair.

Snow snorted softly, 'I'm beginning to think it might be all toasters actually. Her last tantrum involved her breaking one as well.'

Charming laughed quietly.

'What?'

'Well, it's just our thirty year old daughter had a tantrum. I guess I thought we had managed to avoid them.' Snow smiled softly at her husband, and grabbed a mop to mop up the water.

'So, do we go up there now and talk to her? Or do we wait for her to cool down fully? You know what? I take it back, this probably would have been easier when we could have taken away a favourite toy.' He sighed again, picking up the cutlery which had been thrown on the floor.

'I know.' Silent for a few moments as she thought. 'You know we could always carry on our earlier tactic? She'll have to speak to us at some point, it won't take her long to realise that we're not talking to her until she apologises.'

Charming frowned in thought. 'Okay but what if she ends up trying to run? I know she can't leave town because we think the queens have put some spell on the line, but I wouldn't put it past her to be driving her car in a huff and not think about it. And what if we're working together? Because the book doesn't tell you if you're allowed to talk to your almost same age daughter whilst you're both being sheriff trying to defeat evil queens.' He finished, becoming more sarcastic as he got more worried.

Snow smiled tenderly at her husband, at least she had 28 years of being a teacher behind her making it easier – he had a 28 year nap. 'She won't pass the town line, but if you're that worried remember – you're going to be with her at work, and with the queen about and her magic going haywire she won't be wanting to leave here much if she knows she can't help.' She paused, happy to see her husband looking much calmer. 'What we should be worried about it how pissed she's going to be when she realises we're using advice from a baby and toddler book on her.' She teased with a smirk.

'Then we just use the old parent saying of 'if you want to act like a child you can be treated like one.' He replied before pulling his wife into a kiss.  
  
  


It was now four days since her outburst and her father and mother were barely speaking to her. Her dad would only speak to her at work if he desperately needed to, and every time she tried to talk to her mom, she'd simply ignore her – she was only letting her know that dinner was ready, or where something was. Yep Emma had definitely messed up. She had even started taking steps to avoid them that day; she'd woken up and left for work really early, before Neal's 6:30 wake up time early, just to avoid having to face them at breakfast, she'd taken her car in so she didn't have to ride in with her dad, she went to eat breakfast and lunch at Granny's, she'd been working in her office so that she didn't have to work in the same room as him, she'd even grabbed a huge pile of paperwork so that she didn't have to go back into the main room and get more – plus if there was less to do he'd go home earlier, so wouldn't notice her deciding to sleep at the station that night – 'not that he'd care' she told herself.

After the eighteenth time of stopping herself from falling asleep at her desk she decided that she couldn't wait for her father to leave, he was already there late – and the amount of coffee he was consuming as he started to reorganise the filing told her he wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon. 'Probably just staying here so he can watch that I don't mess up.' She thought bitterly. 'Although with that amount of coffee he's drinking, he'll have to go to the bathroom soon.' She packed up her things secretly, then pretending to be working on some paperwork whilst planning on how to sneak past her mother. Waiting to seize her opportunity.

Charming sighed to himself as he glanced into the office. When Neal had woken him and Snow up that morning he did his habitual poking his head into her room. He'd almost had a heart attack when he realised she had gone, especially when it was that early. It was only due to Granny had calling them to ask why Emma was in so early but he wasn't, that both of them didn't go out to search for her. Instead they'd decided for him to go in at the normal time and carry on as he had been but that that they'd have a conversation when the two sheriffs returned home. It wasn't until Charming had finished his paperwork that afternoon that he realised how much paperwork Emma had taken in with her – and that she was obviously waiting for him to leave so she could sleep in one of the cells. It was at that point he had started rearranging the filing cabinet and had started drinking a lot more coffee. Because no matter how stubborn his daughter was, she had gotten it from somewhere, and it wasn't all from Snow. Eventually though all the coffee caught up with him, with a quick glance toward his daughter he left to relieve himself.

Emma noticed her dad leaving and ran out of her office to her car. Her hands crackled with magic as she gripped her steering wheel, begging the old car to work as she turned the key.

'Shit.' She muttered when after five minutes the engine still wouldn't work. She was fully aware that if she didn't hurry up her dad would catch up to her, he'd see her running away because she had realised that they didn't want her around anymore. Anxiety flowed through her veins, she concentrated on the car, letting her emotions kick start her magic. The car spluttered into life. Emma sped out of the car park as her hands continued to flicker magic as they held the steering wheel, much like they had done for a couple of days when the Snow Queen had be 'arrested' by her.

Charming returned to an empty to an empty station room, he quickly checked to see if Emma's things had gone. When he noticed they had he quickly grabbed his truck keys and ran to the parking lot. He go outside just in time to see Emma speeding off in her small bug, her face scared, and magic radiating from her hands. 'Shit.' He muttered and ran to his truck wanting to catch her up. Charming worried as he noticed how fast she was going. He had managed to lose her a couple of times in the dark, surprisingly large town, only catching sight of her by chance. He followed about ten minutes behind his daughter, sighing slightly in relief when he realised his daughter was heading a more scenic way towards their apartment, past the woods.

Charming's heart was in his mouth when he next caught sight of her. He quickly stopped the truck and ran out.  
'Emma!' he roared. As he raced towards the now smoking bug which had collided with a tree.

 


	6. Tantrum and Silence Part 2

'Emma! Emma!' Charming yelled as he reached the car.

Emma's eyes shot open as she heard her dad calling her.  
Charming pried open the bug door, 'Emma. Emma, are you okay?' he asked holding his hand to her cheek, trying to keep her head still as he gaged her injuries. Her head was cut open where her head must have hit the steering wheel – why hadn't her airbag come out? She had smaller cuts from the broken windshield on her face, hands and neck. He couldn't see any other injuries but knew fully well that you often couldn't tell the full extent of car crash injuries straight away.

Emma had been sitting in shock as he looked her over, but soon Charming felt her trying to move her cheek from her hand. He looked up to see her looking panicked at her hands which were tightly gripping the steering wheel, red magic flickering from them.  
'Emma, don't move you head kiddo, okay? I need to make sure you haven't really hurt your neck or head.' He soothed.

'But my magic. I don't want to hurt you.' She replied in a quiet, breaking voice.

'And you won't hurt me. But it's my job to make sure you don't get more hurt than you already are, okay? Can you take some deep breaths in and out for me?' He said calmly much like the way you would calm a spooked animal, or a small child. Emma started mimicking his calm breathing and soon calmed down, her magic calming with her. 'Good girl Emma. Okay without moving your head too much, can you tell me if your head, neck, and back hurt?'

'My head hurts a bit. And my neck. But not a lot.'

Charming smiled at her, proud she'd managed to answer the truth, as opposed to being stubborn and stating that she was fine like she usually did. 'You feel dizzy at all? Or sick?'  
Emma hesitated to answer, she already felt bad for her dad having to deal with this. She knew he was only doing his job as sheriff but if she had just been paying attention he could be home with his wife and real kid…

'Em? I'm guess it's a yes to both, but I need you to tell me okay?' Charming stared intently at his daughter, trying to calm his own nerves.

Emma nodded in affirmation, squeezing her eyes shut momentarily at the dizzy feeling she felt.

'Okay. Right, I'm gonna get you out of here now, but I want you to try and keep your neck and head still.' Charming knew he was being over-cautious about her neck, he was fairly certain she hadn't sustained a back injury. But he wasn't as certain about her head, he wasn't sure if she was confused or just reluctant to answer. Regardless he was taking her to the hospital to get checked out.

Charming unclipped her seat belt before carefully lifting her out of the car. He kept her in his arms as he walked over the truck.

'Wait!' Emma exclaimed, weakly trying to get from his arms. 'It's fine, I'll just walk home. You can go, thanks for the help but I got this.' She couldn't bare the thought of having to go home. Her parent's already hated her, didn't they? Her mom would surely hate her more now she had made her dad be so late. Surely they'd just want her gone. Emma held back tears at the pain of what was to come.

'Hey, hey. Emma, stop.' Charming commanded softly, tightening his grip on his daughter. He noticed the tears in her eyes and his heart broke. There was only one reason she'd want to walk home instead of being driven when she was this injured – if she wanted to avoid them. And if she wanted to avoid them… his mind connected the pieces in his mind and he subconsciously tightened his grip even more, causing Emma to stop squirming.

'Em. First things first, we're not going home just yet, you were just in a nasty crash even if you didn't have cuts on your head, I'd be taking you to hospital to make sure you were okay. Second, if we were going home, I wouldn't let you walk home alone at this time of night by yourself; regardless of if the evil trio were around, or if you were hurt. You're my daughter and I love you. So does your mom, no matter what.' Charming reached the truck and managed to get the door of the passenger's side open whilst still holding Emma in his arms. He placed her inside and buckled her seat belt up before getting into his side and driving to the hospital.

By the time they got to the hospital Charming was worried, he'd already had to pull over twice for Emma to throw up. He'd had to stop her from falling asleep a few times, but he was unsure if that was just the fact she'd been awake for such a long time, or if it was due to the crash. He'd managed to ring the hospital reception on his way there so that they're be ready for their arrival. He parked as close as he possibly could to the front doors, and started to get Emma out when a nurse ran to them with a wheelchair. As soon as he placed her in it he felt her grab his arm, a terrified look in place of her usually strong mask. He noticed her magic once again starting to radiate from her hands. He smiled gently at the nurse, 'Do you think you could give us a second?' The nurse nodded and went to stand a little bit away, whilst still watching Emma.

Charming crouched down in front of Emma staring into her eyes. 'What's wrong kiddo?' he waited for a moment, as she looked down at her lap, as if she were embarrassed or ashamed of something. He lifted her chin up with his finger, forcing her to look into his eyes again. 'Do you not like hospitals Em?'

'Understatement.' She muttered

Charming smiled slightly at her sarcastic tone. 'Can you tell me why? I can't help you if I don't know.'

She hesitated for a moment. 'When I used to have to go into hospital as a kid, well I'd have to go in by myself. And sometimes the foster parents I got… well they weren't the best, so I'd have to spend a lot of time in and out of them.' She said in a small voice.

Charming heart broke for what felt like the hundredth time that night, as a fire settled into his stomach. He had sent her into this world, he hadn't thought how cruel it would be to her, he'd known she would have grown up without him and Snow, but he hadn't thought she'd have to grow up in a world completely devoid of love for her. Still the alternative could have been much worse, she could have been killed by Regina.  
'Emma, I'm not going to leave you. I promise. And when I call your Mom and she gets here, she won't leave you either. I'm sorry you had to go through that, you shouldn't have had to, it wasn't fair and you definitely didn't deserve that.' He wiped the tears that were starting to roll down her cheeks with his thumbs and smiled encouragingly at her. 'Now, let's get you in there and sorted out princess.' He nodded back at the nurse to lead them in, Emma held tightly onto his hand as she was pushed in.

They were greeted by Doctor Whale as they walked in and she was set up on a bed in the ER, not letting go of her Dad's hand the entire time.  
'Hello Ms Swan, David said had crashed your car? Do you feel dizzy, sick or tired at all?' The Doctor listed off, as he took her vitals.

'Only a little, I'm fine. He's just over reacting.'

Charming folded his arms over his chest, finally letting go of his daughter's hand 'She's thrown up twice since the accident, she keeps getting dizzy, and she kept almost falling asleep – but I'm not sure if that one's cause of the crash, or if she's not been sleeping well.' He corrected matter-of-factly, raising his eyebrows at the pathetic looking glare he was receiving from Emma, causing her to stop.

Whale tried not to chuckle at the father and daughters exchange. 'Okay, I'm going to send you for a scan to make sure you didn't damage your head. I'd also like to make sure you didn't damage anywhere else- crashes can cause a whole lot of problems to your body without you even realising it.' The doctor paused for a second, steeling himself for the saviour's reaction to the next part. 'And after the scans, I'd like to keep you in overnight. Purely as a precaution because of the head injury and signs of concussion.'

'No fucking way.' Emma barely restrained herself from yelling, as she started to try to lift herself off the bed, only to be pushed back gently but firmly by her dad.

'Thank you Whale.' The prince responded, keeping his hand firmly on his daughters shoulder.

'Not a problem, I'll send a nurse through in a minute to take Emma for her scans. Whilst she's having them done I'll have you shown to her room.' Whale chose to ignore Emma completely and address the prince instead, knowing that there was no way Emma would be winning this one with her father. He nodded once before leaving the two in the privacy of the curtained cubicle for a couple of minutes.

'Dad –'Emma started

'Emma. No.' Charming interrupted firmly yet gently, silencing her. 'You have to stay here tonight, I'm not taking any chances. Sorry kiddo you don't get a say in this one.' He paused, seeing a touched yet scared look spread across his daughters face. 'That being said, I would never let you stay here alone. And after spending 28 years in this place myself, I know all the tricks. Plus with the amount of coffee I've consumed today, I'll probably be awake for the next two days straight anyway.' He winked at Emma, watching her physically relax as he reassured her he wouldn't leave her.  
A nurse arrived at the bed to take Emma for the tests, Emma flashed her dad a worried glance as she was helped into the waiting wheelchair.  
'Don't worry, I'll meet you in the room they're putting you in. I'll call your mom as well, I'm sure she'll be worried about us by now.' He pressed his lips to the top of her head 'I'll be here when you get back, I promise.'

After Emma was pushed away in the hospital wheel chair for tests, he was led to the private room that was to be his daughter's that night.

He sunk into a chair that sat beside the bed and pulled out his phone, pressing the call button and typing in the number that was as familiar to him as his own was.

'David!' He could hear his wife letting out a relieved breath even over the sound of the hospital.

'Hey Snow.' He replied wearily, bracing himself for the imminent questioning.

'Where are you? I thought you'd be home hours ago. Has there been an emergency? Is it the queens?'

'Erm, not as such. Emma had a bit of an accident'

'What do you mean an accident? Is she okay? Where are you?'

The former shepherd paused, wondering how to answer without scaring his wife too much.

'Charming, where the hell is my daughter?' Snow interrupted before he even had a chance to try and answer, voice as hard and harsh as frozen metal.

'Snow. She's okay, she going to be fine.' He placated. 'She sped off in her car in a bit of a state, I managed to follow her, I was about ten minutes behind her. I don't know whether it was tiredness or her magic, because she was in a bit of a state emotionally and magically…' He took a deep breath before continuing. 'She managed to run off the road and crash into a tree. She hit her head on her wheel, because for whatever reason her airbag didn't come out. She has some cuts on her from her windscreen shattering, and a big cut on her head from banging it. I brought her straight to the hospital. Whale thinks she has a concussion so he's running tests now and keeping her in overnight, which Emma loves.' He took another deep breath, allowing what he had said to sink in. 'Snow, she thought we weren't talking to her because we didn't love her anymore.'

'Charming-'Snow said sucking in a breath trying not to cry.

'Don't worry, I reassured her that we love her more than she could possibly even begin to understand. I said I'd stay here with her tonight, turns out she doesn't have a good run with hospitals.'

'Okay. I'm going to drop Neil off at Red's then come straight there.'

'Okay.' He responded, know he wouldn't be able to keep his wife away even if he wanted. 'And Snow? Be careful, the evil trio are still out there.'

'Trust me, if the any of them try to get in between me and my daughter, they wouldn't be lucky enough to make it the hospital.'

Charming sighed as the phone call clicked off, and waited to see if his wife or daughter would be the first one to reach the room.

Snow rushed into the room she had been told was her daughters, finding only her husband there. As soon as he saw her he stood and eloped her into a hug pressing a comforting kiss to the top of her head. They stood in still silence for a few moments before finally moving away from each other.  
'She should be back soon.' Charming muttered, directing his wife into a chair beside the empty bed which was awaiting their daughter, before reoccupying the chair he had previously been sitting in. 'Snow,' he sighed, 'this is on us. If we'd have just talked to her instead of waiting for her we could have prevented all this. I mean what if we'd decided to leave her to figure it out by herself for another day. Snow we could have lost her today. Again, but this time for good.'

'Hey, David you can't think like that. If you get stuck on what ifs we'll never stop. What matters now is working this out, making sure our daughters okay and knows how much we love her. This is just another one of your moments.' She reached over taking her husband's hand, remembering the 'moments' speech he had told her all those years before.

Charming stared back lovingly squeezing his wife's hand. 'Since when did you become the optimistic one out of us two?' he joked giving her a weak smile.

Before Snow could reply a sleepy looking Emma was wheeled into the room by a nurse. Upon seeing both her parents she visibly relaxed, but looked at them in confusion. The nurse settled her into the bed and announced that Whale would be through soon to administer stitches to Emma's head and to share the test results, before leaving the dysfunctional family.

Both Snow and Charming stood up and moved to either side of their daughter's bed.  
'What's wrong Em?' Charming asked, gently holding her hand as his wife stroked her hair out of her face.

'I just… it's late, and like it's been a long day, I totally understand if you two need to get back to your kid.' Emma's words stumbled out of her mouth, unused to having anybody waiting for her in her hospital room.

Charming and Snow exchanged a worried look above Emma's head.

'I told you I'd stay with you, and I know your Mom will want to too.' Charming said in a no- nonsense manner.

'Of course I do. Emma.' Snow paused waiting for her daughter to look up at her, she had to stop herself from wincing at her daughters injuries. 'And your little brother is fine with Red, it's his big sister I'm worried about. Who by the way is also my kid, and currently needs me more, so he'll just have to learn to share. Because I love both of you, no matter what happens or how old you are.'

Emma looked down, slightly embarrassed at the public declaration of love. As she let what her mom had said sink into her she shrank slightly into herself. 'Ah crap,' she thought 'there's going to be a lecture and questions isn't there?' But she was slightly more reassured that her parents didn't hate her.

Snow nodded at her husband over her daughter's head, indicating that it was his turn.

'Emma.' Charming waited for her to look up, employing the same technique as his wife had. 'What happened today?'

Emma shrugged not wanting to answer, knowing how petty and childish her actions the past couple of days had been.

'Emma.' Her dad commanded in a voice that suggested she should start talking, yet somehow still sounded comforting.

She looked up at her mom to see a curious and stern face staring down at her, she swallowed suddenly feeling like a child again.  
'You two double teaming me really isn't fair, y'know?' She grumbled. 'I couldn't really sleep so I decided to go to the station early, I worked there during the day, then when I was driving home I accidentally crashed.' She murmmed being purposefully vague.

Charming tried not to roll his eyes, he knew his daughter was trying to avoid the conversation. But he also knew if they left it she'd just try to avoid it more so.

'Why couldn't you sleep Em?' Snow asked, her patience having been improved by teaching for 28 years.

Emma shrugged slightly, not wanting to answer and hurt her parents. Hoping that they, like so many others, would simply give up if she refused to talk.

'Okay, Emma.' Emma cringed slightly at Charming's 'dad' tone. 'We're going to talk about this for as long as it takes, that includes when Whale enters the room – unless you start talking now…' he dragged out the last word as if waiting for Emma to interrupt him. They all fully well knew Charming and Snow wouldn't force her to talk about something she didn't want to in front of other people, especially Whale, but Charming hoped that it'd encourage Emma to talk.

'I thought you and mom didn't want me.' She admitted, voice barely above a whisper.  
Snow was surprised at how quickly Emma reacted to David's dad voice. She willed herself not to interrupt her daughter, knowing it'd jut make her clam up.  
'I thought you'd seen how I acted after Henry went to Regina's, and that I couldn't control my magic, and that I took it out on you and you decided it was too much. And you and mom weren't talking to me, but you were still watching me so I thought you were waiting for me to screw up.' Tears were threatening in Emma's eyes. 'I guess that kinda stopped me from sleeping.' She laughed mirthlessly.

'Oh Emma.' Snow sighed, she carefully cradled her daughters head to her chest. 'We could never not want you. We love you so, so much, and nothing you could do could change that.' She felt her daughter shaking against her as she silently cried. Snow instinctively started rocking her back and forth, rubbing circles into her back, much like she did to sooth Neal.

'I wasn't watching thinking you'd screw up kiddo, I was watching to see if you were okay.' Charming held his daughters hand, stoking his thumb over her knuckles in a soothing gesture. 'And if I had known you hadn't slept, I would never have let you drive home by yourself.'

Emma chuckled moving so she was no longer hiding her face in her mother but instead simply learning against her as she looked to her father. 'To be fair you didn't exactly see me leave, and I wasn't exactly about to ask you for a lift.' She smiled slightly, even after spending 28 years apart it still felt good that she could trick her parents.

Charming looked down at his daughter. He could imagine her as a child in the enchanted forest with himself and Snow, trying to get out of trouble, using the exact same face that was equal parts fake innocence and cheekiness.

Charming shook his head chuckling. 'You'll give us grey hairs yet, kiddo.' He muttered, more to himself than to the rest of the hospital room.

'Well Ms Swan, you're going to be very sore the next couple of weeks – and you're going to feel like you have the world's worst hangover the next couple of days. But there appears to be no damage to your brain –' The Doctor entering the room cause Emma to sit bolt upright, a momentary look of fear on her face before she shut her eyes – the sudden movement causing her to become dizzy again.

'Great so I can go, thanks Doc.' Emma interrupted, quickly getting out of the bed, ignoring the pounding of her head.

'Emma Ruth get back into that bed, now.' Charming warned his daughter, blocking her way with his arms crossed across his chest.

'Dad, please…' she wasn't above begging if it meant she wouldn't have to spend a night in the hospital.

'Emma, your father said now.' When Emma looked over at her mom she saw an identical warning look to the one her dad was giving her. She relented, getting back into the bed with a pout- not trying very hard to not sulk.   
'Sorry Doctor Whale, you were saying?' Snow asked turning her eyes from her daughter to the smirking doctor.

'There's no damage internally to the brain or other organs, I still want to keep Emma in overnight thought, just to make sure she's okay. And I'm going to need to close the cut on her forehead with some liquid stitches – then she'll be all set for the night' Whale chose to yet again talk to Emma's parents rather than Emma herself. 'Both of you are naturally welcome to spend the night, although you may be disturbed by a nurse or two checking vitals. Though,' he turned to face Charming, 'I'm sure you'll remember that.'

Charming smirked at the memory of having woke up from his coma, quite literally a life time ago, and being woken up by nurses every few hours – though he guessed 28 years was enough sleep anyway.

'Thank you, we'll both be staying.' Snow answered Whale, though Charming knew his wife was more trying to reassure their daughter than anything.

After Whale had finally finished closing the wound and covering it, he left them with the promise to see Emma in the more reasonable hours of the morning. Snow grabbed her the bag she had brought with her, and handed Emma some pyjamas and directed her to the room's bathroom. As soon as Emma closed the door, Charming drew his wife into a hug.

'She really scared you for a moment then, didn't she?'

'Yeah, seeing her bug, which is in some serious need of repair by the way, it scared the hell out of me. Can I ground her 'til she's 50 for scaring me? Like no putting herself in danger, no dating?'

Snow huffed out a laugh. 'You think her dating puts her in danger?'

'No, but it puts them in danger. From me. And my sword. So really it's a public safety hazard for her to be dating.'

'Ha!' Snow exclaimed 'Good luck trying to convince the mayor of that one.'

'I don't have to convince the mayor.' He smirked 'I just have to convince my queen.' He wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, cause Snow to pull him down into a kiss.

'Urgh god guys! Do you two have to?' Emma complained emerging from the bathroom.

Snow hooked arms with Emma and led her to the bed.

'Dad?' Emma asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed, reluctant to sleep. 'Have you seen my car, how is it?'

'It needs some work doing to the windows and bonnet. And the air bag didn't come out so there's that to deal with, I'll get the garage to look at it tomorrow.' He paused looking at Emma's guilty face as she traced the patterned sheet on the bed. 'Emma? Emma did you know the airbag didn't work?'

She nodded regretfully.

'Emma! We're lucky you weren't more seriously injured!' he exclaimed.

'I know I'm really sorry. It was stupid, and trust me I won't be doing it again.' Emma looked up at her parents faces, looking genuinely apologetic. 'And I'm sorry about my behaviour the other day, and for not trusting you to love me no matter what.'  
Emma was suddenly pulled into a group hug with her parents.  
'Y'know you two are pretty good at this whole parent thing. In my New York memories I used to give Henry the silent treatment to get him to do things but you guys-' She paused, her turn to look at guilty faces. 'Wait did you guys seriously…. I'm thirty!' she exclaimed.

Charming looked like he was about to argue their point to Emma when Snow offered gently, 'How about we move on, and forget about what happened?'  
The two of the more stubborn of the Charmings eyed each other carefully, before nodding at the same time.

'Okay good. Now Emma how about you get some sleep.' She said softly.

Her daughter manoeuvred to a lying position in the bed, looking around sheepishly. 'I sometimes find it slight hard, well sleeping without…' She mumbled

Snow immediately dove into her bag and pulled out Emma's woollen blanket, 'I know.'

'Mom! You brought it here?'

'Well if you don't want it…'

'I didn't say that!' Emma quickly snatched the blanket, placing it under the bed covers before it could be returned to the bag.

Snow sat in a chair on one side of Emma's bed, stroking Emma's hair, Charming dimmed the lights then positioned himself in a chair on the other side, holding her hand.

Charming quickly noticed his daughter holding back from falling asleep, her eyes darting around the darkened room in anticipation.

'Once upon a time,' he began in a soothing and quiet voice, 'there lived a beautiful, intelligent, talented, if slightly spoilt princess, and a charming, if poor shepherd...'


	7. Inheritance

'FOR FUCKS SAKE!'

'Emma!' Snow admonished heading from her bedroom to the living room, where Emma was now stood pouting with her arms crossed, but no longer swearing. 'Okay.' Snow said taking a calming breath. 'What was that language for?'

'Because –'Emma shouted gesturing towards where Neal was now sat giggling at the commotion in front of him.

'Emma.' Snow warned in a stern voice. 'If you start swearing in front of your brother again you'll be in a whole world of trouble, no matter what has happened to make you frustrated. It's bad enough one of my children swearing some of the time – I won't be having both. Understood?' She waited for her daughter to nod. 'Okay good, now take some deep breaths, then when you're calm come and sit on the sofa with me and explain what's wrong.'

Snow's teacher and mother voice combined forced Emma to stand still for a few moments, taking deep breaths as her mom had told her to do. Once she had calmed slightly she concentrated on walking to join her mom. She almost made it to the sofa when she tripped into the leg of the coffee table – landing face first in her mother's lap.

'Emma! Are you okay?' Snow grabbed hold of her daughter, her hand automatically reaching to stroke her daughter's hair in a soothing manner. Her trained eye surveying her body for any injuries, only allowing her daughter to sit next to her when she was sure she was uninjured.

'That's what's wrong.' Emma replied in a grumpy voice, looking down at her lap in an almost guilty manner. 'Neal managed to knock both of my contacts under the kitchen counter.'

'Ah. I'm going to go out on a whim here and say that you left them where he could reach, and where you've been repeated told not to leave things. I'm guessing you don't have another set?'

Emma shook her head still looking down into her lap.

Snow nodded, motioning that she understood. 'I'll ring Sneezy see if he can get you another  _couple_  of pairs.' She replied emphasising the word couple, Snow really didn't know how Emma had manage to survive for 28 years. 'But in the meantime, don't you have a pair of glasses here from when you were in New York?'

'But I hate glasses.' Emma whined, 'I'll be fine without them.'

Snow stood up from the sofa, grabbing her cell phone which was on the arm of the chair, then turning to give Emma her 'You are joking, right?' look. Climbing up the loft stairs towards Emma's room whilst dialling Sneezy's number.

* * *

Emma sat shooting glares at her mother who was preparing dinner in the kitchen, she heard the door open, causing her to quickly put a pair of headphones on – she was not in the mood for her father to try and cheer her up.

Charming walked over to his wife, wisely following her earlier texted advice, of not talking to Emma straight away.

He pulled his wife into a 'hello' kiss in the seclusion of the kitchen, looking across to see his youngest child start to pull himself up to toddle using the kitchen chair.  
'She still annoyed at Neal?' he asked as he pulled away, but kept his hands on her hips – keeping her pressed against him.  
'Nope. Just at me.' She smiled bemusedly. 'Apparently I'm terrible for making her be able to see.' She chuckled, kissing her husband again. 'Oh,' she started as she pulled away to stir the food that was on the hob, 'and apparently you'd never make her wear them.'

'Oh?' he questioned raising his eyebrows at her then walking over to the fridge to get out some juice ready for dinner. 'She actually believe that?'

'Of course not. She's moody, not deluded.' She joked.

'I reckon I could win some best parent points if I don't though.' He joked back 'I'm pretty sure you're winning simply on the premise of the fact that you can bake cookies, so I should probably do something about that.' He shot her his trademark charming smile.

'Mm, you would win some best parent points you're right.' She paused shooting him a smirk...' But you'd also win some 'you're sleeping on the sofa' points.'

Charming laughed in earnest, pulling his wife into another quick kiss. 'I'll go get her to stop glaring at you.'

'My hero.' she joked starting to dish out the food.

'Anything to win the sleeping in bed with you points.' he said placing the juice upon the table, before adding, 'or not sleeping.' with a wink at his wife - who was suddenly very happy her eldest wasn't listening to them.

* * *

Charming picked up Neal who was about to bang his head on the underside of the dining table, and walked with him so that they sat next to Emma.

'Go on then.' Emma sighed, pulling her headphones off as Neal decided to escape his father's grip and sit on his sister's lap.

'Go on what?' Charming asked, slightly confused.

'Do the whole Prince Charming thing and persuade me that I'm just as beautiful with glasses on as with contacts in.' she scoffed.

'Hmm,' he paused mocking considering the action, 'I suppose you're right, I could have said that. Wish I'd thought of that; I was just going to tell you to stop leaving things where your brother could get them, and to stop glaring at your mom.' He half joked, giving her a knowing look about the last two parts.

She looked down slightly guiltily 'Sorry.' She was still amazed at how her parents could give her a look and she'd turn back into a little kid.

'Not me you have to apologise to.' He paused waiting for Emma to look back up. 'You know, you do look beautiful no matter what you have to wear on your face,' Emma blushed taking the opportunity to help Neal down onto the floor to hide her face from her dad.  
'And even if you didn't, which you do, it wouldn't matter.'  
Emma looked up slightly confused.  
'Because you, princess, are: talented, and smart, and funny, and fair, and smart.' He threw an arm around her shoulder as he spoke bringing her in so she was pressed side-by-side to him.

'You said smart twice.' She joked, despite never getting these sort of compliments growing up, she was slowly getting used to them in the past couple of years with her parents.

'That's because it's doubly true.'

'God, you're such a dad.' She smiled, and started to stand up, muttering under her breath 'And those qualities didn't stop kids from picking on me when I was younger.'

'Hey, what was that?' he asked pulling her down back into her seat, frowning as he did so.

'Dad, dinner's ready. Can we just drop this?' she protested.

'Dinner will keep warm whilst you talk.' Snow said suddenly concerned after having overheard the conversation, she walked over and sat down on a chair next to Emma's.

'Come on guys, I'm hungry.' She whined, giving them puppy dog eyes.

'Then talk fast.' Her dad suggested, keeping his hand firmly wrapped around her arm to keep her from leaving.  
He locked eyes with his wife, silently agreeing to not let Emma leave without talking about this. Knowing that if she didn't talk about it then and there, she'd find a way out of talking about it.

Emma sighed knowing there was no escape, after all she got her stubbornness from both sides of her family.  
'When I was little I had to wear glasses all the time and I'm practically blind without them so they were really, really thick, and they were never thinned down cause no one really cared. But I was also pretty smart so like the classic; smart four-eyes gets bullied thing. It's alright though, it always stopped pretty quickly when I got into fights with the ring leaders, and kept my head low in school by not doing as well.'

'You shouldn't have had to hide your excellence from the world because of a couple of bullies.' Snow said leaning over to pull Emma into a hug.

'Does this get me out of having to wear them?' She mumbled into her mom's shoulder as she sunk into the quick hug.

Charming laughed kissing Emma's head before standing up. 'Sorry kiddo, no chance.' Before jokingly puffing up his chest feigning over protectiveness. 'But if it makes you feel better I'm sure I can scare anyone who tries to be mean to you princess. And I'm sure your mommy will tell them off.'  
He held his breath slightly when he realised he had slipped into the moniker that was usually reserved for when he was talking to the younger of his two children, the  _much_  younger of his two children.

'I'm pretty sure my mommy would be much better at telling people off than you are.' She countered, not realising either his or her slip.

Snow swallowed, not wanting to scare Emma off by informing her by reacting. 'Of course I am honey, and I would in a heartbeat.' She smiled at her full of love 'But right now I think we should have a dinner then movie night.'

'Hmm that depends' Emma said, pretending to consider it, much like her father had done earlier, as they all sat at the table, 'do we get sweet popcorn?'

'Only if you eat the veg. And Em?' Emma looked up from her food to her mom, 'I mean  _you_ eating your veg – not feeding it to your little brother when you think your father and I aren't looking.' She gave her a pointed look which Emma returned with a sheepish one of her own.

* * *

Emma stumbled down the loft stairs the next morning almost tripping over her little brother.  
'Sorry trouble.' She said ducking down to place a kiss upon his head, before carefully picking her way to the kitchen counter, where her dad was on breakfast duty, almost tripping over a multitude of times. She grabbed the nearest coffee, screwing up her face when she realised it was her mom's who never added enough sugar.

Charming smiled and removed the mug from her hand, and was about to press her own coffee into her hands when he paused. 'Wait, where are your glasses?'

'I forgot them. Can I just have my breakfast first? Please Dad?' she begged, pulling out the puppy dog eyes – there way she was going to voluntarily wear them, no matter how much her parents complimented her.

Snow stepped out of the bathroom, scooping Neal up and placing him in his highchair in one fluid motion. 'Emma where are your glasses?'

'Forgot them.' She said, reaching for her coffee again – only to have it pulled out of her reach again.

'Glasses first, then coffee.' Charming bartered

'Coffee first, then glasses.'

'Emma go get your glasses on, now.' Her mother said sternly.

'Fine.' She sighed, and stomped up to her room in an over dramatic manner.

'And here I was thinking we missed those precious teenage years.' Charming joked as he passed the breakfast food over to Snow to put on the table.

'There is some good news though.'

'Oh what's that?'

'I don't have to spend all day at work with a stubborn and grumpy Emma.'

'Geez, thank you for that delightful reminder, my love.' 

'Not a problem my love.'

* * *

'Emma you need to put your glasses on.'

'Yeah in a minute.'

* * *

'Emma, you'll give yourself a migraine.'

'I'm fine.'

* * *

'Glasses, kiddo.'

'Yeah, whatever.'

* * *

'Glasses.'

'I am.'

* * *

'Emma what's this say?' he asked showing her the newspaper, as he sat at the desk next to hers.

'It says your daughter is a full grown and responsible adult who doesn't need her dad to tell her what to do.'

'Wrong. It says; that while my daughter is a fully grown and normally responsible adult, she's still my child. And obviously needs her dad to remind her constantly to put her glasses on, as she's still not wearing them. _Despite_  the fact she'll damage her eyes more. So glasses on. Now.' He ranted, bored of having the same mundane argument.

* * *

'Emma. Put your glasses on. Now. I'm getting sick of telling you.'

'….'

'Emma.'

'….'

'Emma Ruth Swan, are you listening to me?' Charming gritted his teeth together, the muscle in his jaw jumping in frustration.

'Yeah…' She replied quietly.

He walked behinde her desk and turned her chair around so that it was facing him, forcing her to squint up at him. 'Emma, where are your glasses?' he demanded in a no nonsense manner.

'I may have forgotten them at home at lunch.'

Charming sighed, kneeling down so he was on eye level with her like you would with a child.  
'Emma, did you leave your glasses at home on purpose?' He saw her eyes avoiding him as she tried to ignore the question, taking care to note how she winced slightly when she did, indicating a migraine had already set in.  
He sighed again. 'That wasn't a very good idea, now was it? You got any spare glasses at the station, kiddo?' he asked doubtfully.

'There's a pair in my memory box.' Emma replied after a long hesitation, holding her head to put pressure on it .

Charming ducked into the sheriff's office, grabbing her old pair of glasses as he forced himself to not get distracted by the vague clues of his daughter's childhood.

'Okay kiddo, you stick these on while I get some stuff sorted. Then we'll go home, get your head sorted ,and you to bed.'

'But dad they're terrible-'

'Emma, for starters it really doesn't matter. Also they could be a whole lot worse.'

'Yeah, right.'

'Yes. Right.' He agreed, handing her a large leather bound book from a box under his desk. 'This is my sketch book, it must have come over with one of the curses.'  
He watched as she opened it to the first page, which happened to be a very detailed portrait of David as a young boy woven into the book. Though the David in the picture wore very large circular glasses.  
'That one was by your Grandma Ruth, and according to her, I would try by any means to get out of wearing them.'  
He flipped through the thick sketch book to about half way. Another picture of a David, only slightly younger than he was presently - again wearing thick Harry Potter style glasses. 'This one I did on the night before your mother and I's wedding. I was too nervous to sleep, I kept thinking I'd mess up somehow, or your mother would suddenly come to her senses and realise she was miles above anyone I could ever deserve. But I was so nervous I gave myself a headache, and drawing was the only way I could calm myself down – so I had to wear my glasses.' He pointed to the graphite glasses on the realistic face. 'Now, I think those glasses are far, far worse than yours, don't you?' Emma smiled, appreciating that she wasn't having to wear those glasses at her age.  
Charming stroked her forehead in a soothing manner, watching as she tried not to fall asleep. He stood up and kissed her forehead then started getting ready to leave. He switched the phone to go to his cell, it had been a quiet day anyway so there was no harm in not actually being at the station.

* * *

'I do it too, y'know?' Emma said as they walked towards the truck, her father's sketchbook clutched in her hands as if it were a holy grail.

'You do what princess?'

'Draw. There wasn't really much to do growing up, I just kind of picked it up.'

He smiled at her opening her door for her. 'You'll have to show me sometime.' He requested. Smiling wider when she nodded in agreement. 'Oh and Em? I'll be carrying around those glasses your wearing now all week, just in case you forget your other ones again.' He warned, with a smile.

* * *

The week passed with only token complaints from Emma, who had ended up being in bed for two days with a migraine. Surprising both her parents who thought she'd put up much more of a fight. Emma had resisted upon the threat of her old glasses which loomed in the air, not that she'd let her parents know that their threat had worked.

Emma happily accepted the contacts from Sneezy, not wanting to know where the dwarf had managed to get contacts in a town that no one knew of or came to. She silently vowed to never leave them anywhere near her brother again.

However it was much more of a surprise when she decided to choose a new pair of glasses to wear around the loft, for when she was tired or ill. Charming and Snow chose to pretend to ignore how she had only decided that after she had heard that her father had also chosen a pair of glasses for the very same reason.

 


	8. Like father like daughter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For a guest who wanted to see Charming and Emma being told they had things in common - and Charming being very proud of this but Emma being embarrassed.

The town, for once, was quiet and safe, and Charming had taken it upon himself to take both Neal and Henry out for the day – leaving Emma and Snow to spend some time with each other. Emma was sure this was planned, after all between the first curse breaking and finally defeating the Snow Queen, her and her mom hadn't spent that much time together, and they hadn't been able to watch movie together since her mom was just Mary Margret, not both Mary Margret and Snow White.

Emma knelt by the television her two choices in her hands, her mom was in the kitchen making the hot chocolate and the popcorn. Emma had offered to make the popcorn but was laughed out of the kitchen, reminded that the past couple of times Emma had cooked anything they almost had to call out the fire brigade, and told to go pick a film instead. Emma supposed she could have make the hot chocolate instead, but truth was Emma thought her mom's hot chocolate was the best hot chocolate ever made, so totally wasn't going to give up this opportunity to get it.  
'Hey, you mind what film we watch?' she shouted over, eyeing one of her choices.

'Nope, stick anything on.'

Emma smirked knowing her mother was going to use those words, she put the disk into the player and sat down, making sure to pause the movie when it was on a black screen so her selection wasn't revealed straight away. Her mom walked in with two big mugs of hot chocolate and a big dish of popcorn on a tray, she set it down on the coffee table and handed her daughter a mug, before settling down herself, leaving her own mug on the tray to cool.

Emma pressed the brim of the mug to her lips and took a sip, allowing the liquid to scald her throat.  
'Crap that's hot.' Emma muttered before taking another sip, wincing as the liquid again burnt her throat.

'Language.' Snow reprimanded gently, before shaking her head and laughing fondly at Emma's wincing face. 'You are so your fathers daughter.'

Emma tilted her head to the side slightly with a confused look plastered onto it, placing her half empty mug onto the coffee table.

'Your dad does that too, the having to drink your drinks straight away despite them burning your throat – that's from him.' Snow clarified.

Emma stroked her thumb across her tattoo subconsciously.

'Emma, can I see your tattoo?'

'Okay.' Emma dragged out, moving her arm palm facing upward, onto her mother's lap.

Snow touched the inked skin as softly as she would touch Neil's face, smiling as she did so. 'Wait here, I just have to go get something.' She said, placing Emma's arm back to where it had been lying on Emma's knee, and disappearing into her and Charming's bedroom.

When she walked back into the room Emma had already made an impressive dent in the popcorn. She walked over and took the bowl, placed it on the coffee table and passed Emma the box she had gone to retrieve.

'A ring?' Emma asked when she opened it.

'Your fathers ring. Look at the crest.'

Emma looked carefully at the ring. It was gold, the ring merged into a crest shape which displayed a shape of a monster or creature similar to a lion without a mane on the bottom, above the creature was a line going from one edge of the crest to the other, it looked like it was pointing upwards at a flower with three flowers exactly the same on either side. She peered closely at the flowers, there was something familiar about them….  
'But that's…' she tailed off and tried to peer even closer.

'Your flower? Yes! That's what I thought. Belle saw it had your father's name next to it when she was looking at Gold's books and trying to find their owners, so she gave it to me. Maybe you getting that tattoo was fate.'

'Huh' Emma laughed dryly. 'Maybe.' She went to hand it back to her mom.

'You should keep it. Call it early inheritance.'

Emma didn't want to point out that because of the first curse, it was just as likely that she'd be the first one to die. And that was if things didn't keep appearing and trying to kill her.  
'Dad might want it.' She said instead.

'I doubt it, your father may have loved that kingdom, but he definitely did not love King George, it'll probably just remind him of him. Between threatening your grandmother and telling David he couldn't marry me, and then destroying Jefferson's hat whilst you and I were stuck in The Enchanted Forest... No, I think he'd want you to have it. He may not have always been a prince, but believe me when I say your father was totally worthy of that title.'

Emma smiled placing the box into her jacket pocket.

'You know you're a lot like him, you know?'

Emma laughed slightly uncomfortably 'Blonde hair, slays dragons, drinks drinks too hot, and a flower. Hard to tell us apart really' she joked.

'You are.' Snow repeated firmly, she knew Emma didn't believe that she was just as much of a hero as her dad was. 'Seriously, watch him next time you can – you two have some of the same mannerisms. And you and he have very similar personalities.' She pressed a kiss onto her daughter's forehead, before sitting back. 'So what are we watching?'

Emma pressed play, smiling mischievously as she did so.

'Emma, it's not even accurate!' she exclaimed as the introduction to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs appeared onto the screen.

* * *

Emma stumbled into the kitchen blindly, kissed the top of Henry's head, walked over to the coffee machine and poured herself a large mug, she added way more sugar than could be deemed healthy, and sat at the island in silence.

A few minutes later a dishevelled Charming walked into the kitchen, planted a kiss on his daughter's head and walked over to the machine to make himself a coffee with only slightly less sugar in it than his daughter's did.

Henry looked at his mother and grandfather, who had both decided at that moment to rub the sleep out of their eyes with the heel of their palms, before starting to laugh.

'What's up kid?' Emma asked in a slightly slurred, confused tone.

Henry caught the eye of his grandmother, who entered the kitchen humming with Neal carefully cradled in one arm, he smiled cheekily before turning his attention back to his confused mother and grandfather. 'It's just you guys are practically identical. I mean think about it: you both normally oversleep, you both have to have a coffee before you can even begin to function in the morning, you both have your coffee with more sugar than I'm allowed in a week, and,' he paused grabbing his coat and school bag and walked to the loft door and opened it, then turned back to face his family, shooting a grin at his grandmother who was trying not to laugh as he did so, 'you both kiss your kid on the head as soon as you enter the kitchen in the morning.'

Snow stifled a laugh and winked at Henry as he shouted hurried goodbyes and left.

'Huh, I guess you're right.' Charming said with a hint of pride, looking at Emma with a smile.

'I'm not a kid, kid!' Emma protested at the suddenly closed door, while looking embarrassed.

'I'm not a kid.' Emma repeated pointedly, glaring slightly at her mom who she knew was behind Henry's 'sudden' realisation.

'Whatever you say kiddo.' Charming joked as he started walking with his coffee to his room, 'Meet you at the door in twenty.'

* * *

It seemed that Henry wasn't was only one who Snow had roped in on her plan to prove that the father and daughter were more alike than they had both realised. Over the following week more similarities were pointed out to the pair than had been in the couple of years they had known each other. Emma had found herself avoiding Charming in any situation that they weren't totally by themselves. Even going out to get drinks from Granny's had become a one man job after Red had pointed how they both leaned onto their forearms as soon as they had ordered. It had killed Emma to see how proud her dad had looked at every new trait that was noticed, only to look at Emma's embarrassed face and instantly became disheartened. It killed her more to see that despite this he was still acting as charming and dad like as ever.

'One hot chocolate with cinnamon.' He said as he walked into the station fresh back from a trip to Granny's.

'Thanks.' Emma replied gratefully as she reached her arm up, ready to be handed the cardboard cup.

Charming walked over to his own desk and placed both his and Emma's cup onto it before shrugging off his jacket and moving over and perching on Emma's desks – leaving both of the cups where he placed them.

'Dad?'

'Emma what's going on?'

'I don't know what you're on about.' Emma muttered as she looked down to play with her fingers.

'Ever since Henry pointed out our similarities last week, you've been holding out on me. Every time some mentions something that makes us alike it's like you have to cross the place we're at off a list of places we can be seen together. And I'm pretty sure that people realising our similarities is your mother's fault, in fact she admitted that when I just called her. But is it really that bad? To be like your dad?'

'No!' Emma exclaimed 'It's not that at all! It's just…. I'm not… I didn't…' Emma gave up trying to find words and went back to staring down at her hands.

'Emma, I'm your father. Talk to me.' He pleaded sternly.

'I'm not like you!' She exploded. 'I mean I  _am_ like you but I'm not like you. I didn't realise that I was like you but now I do, but now I realise I'm not like you.' She rambled.

'Emma.' He said gently halting her. 'Start at the beginning.'

'Mom figured out that my tattoo looked like the flower from your coat of arms from when you were Prince James.' She moved the shoelace she always wore slightly down her arm to show her tattoo.

Charming stared at the tattoo that he had never really been able to look at in detail. It was like the flower she was right, he smiled at it for a moment, then looked back up at his daughters face knowing he had to focus with the problem at hand as opposed to yet another detail in how similiar they were.

'And she gave me a ring of yours, which she said you wouldn't mind me having.' Charming nodded at her, signally that he agreed with his wife and she should continue. Emma took a deep breath. 'And then she pointed out how we are the same, and told me to keep an eye out for it, but then she reminded me that you were, that you are a brave and noble prince, and then suddenly everyone's pointing out how alike we are. But we're not, you're all these really good hero things. But I'm not – I've lied and cheated and stolen. And I wish that I hadn't – that we really could be alike. But we can't.' Emma dissolved into tears upon finishing her sentence.

Charming quickly reached down and eloped his daughter into his arms, carefully holding the back of her head with one hand and soothingly stroking her back with the other.

'Hey. It's okay.' He soothed until he heard her tears subsiding, but he still kept her in his arms. 'You, Emma Ruth Swan, are the biggest hero of us all. You're strong, and brave, and smart. You have a heart of gold, and you are the fairest person I have ever laid eyes on. You always have the best of intentions, and are a fantastic sheriff, and you never give up on anyone – you even got us heroes to work with villains and to realise we're not that different. And most of all you a fantastic mother, and if it's possible, and even better daughter.' He heard his daughter start sniffling again and snuggle into his neck.

Eventually he felt Emma pull away. 'And y'know,' he said as he wiped some stray tears from under her eyes with the pads 'you're technically more royal than I am, you were born a royal whereas I was not. I could get people to start calling you Princess Emma, if it'd make you feel better.' He joked raising an eyebrow.

'I'm good thanks dad.' She giggled in reply.

'You sure?'

She nodded in reply.

'Okay. How about you and I retire early for the weekend? We can get takeout from Granny's to take back to the loft, and I think we'll be needing some new hot chocolates.' He said eyeing the two that lay abandoned on the messy desk. 'And as Henry's at Regina's this weekend and it was his turn, you mother and I will suffer through whatever you decide to pick.' He walked over to bin the now cold drinks.

'Whatever I want to pick?' Emma asked as her dad's back was to her.

'Yup. Anything you want.' He turned round to see his daughter putting on her coat with a mischievous grin. 'Ah crap. Can I take it back?'

'It wouldn't be very  _charming_  of you to do so.' She joked.

'You do realise your mom was being sarcastic when she gave me that nickname, right?' he said as he offered her his arm to lead out to the truck.

'I can see that.' She replied sarcastically eyeing the arm he offered her pointedly before taking it.

'Sarcasm. Yeah, like mother like daughter.'


	9. Emma has a secret

'Okay, I'll be there soon.' Charming placed the phone back on its holdall and stood up pulling his jacket on as he did.

'Who was it? Need any help?' Emma's head had shot up as soon as the station phone had started to ring, she had gone to get it to find her father had been one step in front of her. She had been stuck playing catch up with all the paperwork she had avoided doing the entire day, she had a tendency to put off doing her paperwork straight away leading to her having many days like this one – where her father would take all the call outs so she had to do it.

'Nope. Granny's heard some noises around the alleyway behind the diner, she thinks it's a cat but the animal rescue centre don't have anyone to go out and take a look. I hate cats.'

'You know I could go out instead, I don't mind them.' Emma started to stand up.

'Oh no you don't! Sit back down.' Charming said firmly giving her his dad look causing her to oblige. 'You have to stay here and finish a few more files. I don't think you'll get them all done by end of shift, but if you get a couple finished now you'll have less to do tomorrow.'

'But they're boring.' Emma all but whined.

'Well then maybe you'll think twice next time you put off doing one, then leaving them until they all pile up and I have to tell you to.' He retorted giving her a knowing look. 'Okay, I'll go deal with this demonic beast. Try get some of them done, okay kiddo?'

'Yeah, whatever.' She mumbled as he left.

Emma sat trying to force herself to continue the mundane paperwork, she had just finished one file when the station phone rang.

'Hello, Sheriff Swan here.'

Emma jotted down notes as one of the towns people told her that they'd found a kitten stuck in an ally way near the cannery. She hung up the phone and glanced between her mobile and the file she was about to open.

' _Well, I can't exactly leave a kitten stuck by itself. I'll go get it and bring it back here then dad can go and take it to the rescue centre when he get back. Then I'm not technically putting off my paperwork I'll just be helping him out. Yeah that should work.'_ She thought as she managed to find a cat carrier she remembered seeing at the station before the first curse broke.

Half an hour later Emma was crouchingin the alleyway trying to move some corrugated metal so she could reach the orange ball of fluff that was mewling at her. Another five minutes later she managed to move enough space to reach inside and grab the kitten.

'Hey there, you not find an easier place for me to grab you from?' She joked as the kitten nudged its nose at her hand so she'd stroke them. 'Okay, I get it. Come on we best get back to the station before my dad starts getting worried. He's a pretty over protective parent, hey I wonder where you parents are.' She rambled as she placed the kitten inside the carrier.

She had just strapped the carrier to the seat of her bug and sat down herself when her mobile started to ring. 'Speaking of.'

'Hey dad.'

'Hey Em. It turns out it was a cat who'd just given birth, anyway I managed to them to the animal centre before it closed. But as it's the end of our shift anyway I'm going to get us all dinner from Granny's and meet you at home.'

'Wait, the animal centre's closed?'

'Yeah, why what's up?'

'Nothing! It just …. It just seems like something that should be open for later, that's all. Hey you say there's kittens, any of them ginger?'

'Nope all black and white, so is the mom. What's with the sudden interest in cats Em?' he asked sounding suspicious.

'Nothing! I'll meet you at home in a bit.' She hung up before her dad could question her.

'How'd you feel about coming home with me for the night?' Emma asked the ginger kitten who was sat on her shoulder as she grabbed an empty cardboard box. The kitten rubbed his head against her cheek in reply. 'Hey you need a name, let's see. Ginger? No you don't like that one? Okay, hmm. Wait. Ginger kitten wandering round Storybrooke by his self. Okay I know who you are.' She played him inside the cardboard box she had just pierced holes in the top of and placed a spare blanket in. 'Here's the thing, my dad doesn't like cats so we're going to sneak you in and up to my room before he can notice – but that means you have to be really quiet okay?'

'Here goes nothing.' Emma muttered, half to herself half to the kitten who was curled up asleep, as she opened up the door.

'Hey Emma! Good day?'

'Hey mom, it was alright.' She hurriedly replied as she tried to make her way to the stairs before her parents noticed the box.

Charming raised his eyebrows at that reply, normally Emma would complain about him forcing her to actually do her paperwork.

'What's in the box Em?' he asked narrowing her eyes at her.

'Paperwork.' She lied running up the stairs. 'I'm gonna go dump it in my room before dinner. I'll be back in fifteen.'

Charming and Snow glanced at each other.

'You know that's not paperwork right?' Charming started.

'Of course I know that's not paperwork, and since when doesn't she complain about you forcing her to do her paperwork?'

'So?' he grinned mysteriously.

'So I'll go up first I'm better at being quiet, then once I've opened her door I'll shout you to come up. If by some miracle it's nothing I'll just pretend to be checking on her and not shout you.' Snow said then she kicked off her shoes and tiptoed upstairs.

'Charming!'

He heard his wife shout from Emma's room. ' _Guess we were right'_  he thought as he raced up the stairs. He burst into the room to find Emma sat cross legged on her bed, staring guiltily at her lap, as Snow stood to his side trying not to laugh. On the floor a small ginger kitten was playing with the laces. 'A kitten?!' he asked incredulously. He could hear his wife attempt to hide a giggle beside him but he refused to take his eyes off his daughter.

'I'll leave this to you Charming.' Snow said her smile evident in her voice.

'Wait! Are you sure you don't want to… You might be better at handling this.' The panic was evident in his voice as he stared at his wife pointedly, she knew he didn't like cats but would have a hard time saying no to Emma.

'I'm sure.' She said mischievously. 'I'll start putting the dinner out, I'm sure this won't take long.'

Charming was left staring with his eyes narrowed and shaking his head slightly at his daughter's closed bedroom door. He pinched the bridge of his nose then moved to sit on Emma's bed facing her.

'Emma I –'

'Dad I couldn't leave him where he was! And I knew you didn't, don't, like cats so I thought it was best you didn't know.'

'Emma, what do you mean leave him where he was?' he asked gently.

Emma launched into how she found him and explained her questions during their phone calls.

'And I know who he is! Which means we have to wait until we can find his happy ever after, it's my job.' She said confidently but begging her dad with her puppy dog eyes.

After less than a minute later he broke. 'Okay fine! We can keep him until you find him his happy ever after. What is it by the way? And who is he meant to be? A prince?'

'Nope he was a kitten in the tale as well, his happy ever after is finding a family - in the tale he was adopted by a little girl Jenny. And he's called Oliver.'

'Oliver? What's the tale?' He asked cautiously.

'Oliver and company.'

'Y'know that was a dirty trick earlier.' Charming said to his wife as they finally settled into bed that night.

'What trick?' She asked feigning innocence.

'Getting her to convince me, I  _do_  remember when you were pregnant with Emma you trying to persuade me that getting a cat or five dozen would be a good idea.'

'You remember how I only gave up that idea 'cause Red threatened to eat them?'

Charming chuckled, 'I remember you saying I put her up to saying that.'

Snow jokingly glared at him 'To be fair I was hormonal.'

'You're telling me.' Charming muttered as he remembered Snow being pregnant.

'What was that?'

'Nothing dear. We best get to sleep, if I remember right it's your night to wake up with Neil.' He smirked.

'Mm you're right.' Snow smiled at her husband then turned so her back was facing him 'But you have to put up with Emma trying to get out of doing her paperwork all tomorrow.'

'And probably the rest of the week. You want to swap?' he offered half-heartedly.

'Goodnight Charming.' She chortled

'Goodnight Snow.'

Three weeks later Charming and Emma sat at the station, having just given Oliver to his new family. Charming had realised that Emma had slipped a few files of her paperwork into his pile, he had scolded her slightly and told her to get on with them while he got on with his own.

'You know, I think I'm going to miss that guy.' Charming said after a while. He looked over at Emma after he had said it, to see her staring wide-eyed with an excited smile on her face.

'Can we get a kitten?' She asked not bothering to hide her excitement.

'Emma.' He sighed.

'Because the animal centre still have some, I checked.' She said giving him puppy dog eyes.

'Emma.' He said more firmly, attempting to stay strong.

'Please daddy?' She said, still staring with puppy dog eyes.

Charming sighed and threw his head into his hands 'It's up to your mother.'

'But it's a yes from you?' She asked hopefully.

'I suppose so.' He sighed again, knowing how much joy Snow was going to get in teasing him about Emma being about to get her own way with him.


	10. Emma's phobia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set just before season 4.

Emma knew it was serious when she hit the ground and heard her bone snap. It took a couple of seconds for her to feel like every nerve in her arm was alight.

'Emma!' Charming called back from where he was closing in on their suspect, voiced filled with concern.

'I'm fine! Just get him!' Emma lied.

She pushed herself to her feet before rolling up the sleeve of her jacket she winced, seeing it was swollen already. She heard her dad's footsteps approaching from behind her so she quickly rolled down her sleeve, knowing if he saw it he'd take her to the hospital to get it looked at.

'You okay Em?' Charming asked a little breathlessly, pulling the now handcuffed young man alongside him.

'Yeah, of course. I just fell over, I was just clumsy. I'm fine.'

Charming narrowed his eyes at her, before nodding. 'Okay, well let's get back to the station, you're driving.'

Emma nodded, knowing if she refused her dad would demand to know what was wrong.

As soon as they got back to the station Emma went to her office, leaving her dad to charge Willie with being a peeping tom. She sat down and carefully pulled up her sleeve, her arm had already been painted with every shade of red and purple known to the human body. She saw her dad glancing into the office from his desk with a concerned expression, but he turned away when he saw Emma had noticed his staring. Emma sighed, she'd had to hide her wincing from him the entire drive back yet apparently he was still suspicious – and if he was suspicious that meant he'd decide to talk to her about it. And there was no way she was letting him take her to the hospital.  
 _'Well that settles it_.' Emma thought to herself, then rolled down her sleeve as carefully as she could, then scooping a couple of files to work on into her bag. She turned around to grab her jacket so she could sneak out, she sighed internally when she realised she'd have to sneak into the loft. Although her mother had gone back to work, she'd still have to get past granny – if granny thought something was wrong she'd call Emma's parents straight away.

A cough from the doorway made Emma jump out of her skin.  
'Going somewhere Em?' Charming asked, a knowing look plastered on his face.

'Yeah, I erm…. I said I'd meet Killian for lunch. I figured I'd take it now.' She lied, starting towards the door.

Charming tilted his body so that he was blocking the doorway. 'I thought Killian took Henry sailing?'

'Yeah! Yeah he did,' Emma lied,  _had he? She must not have heard that when Henry was talking this morning_. 'I said I'd meet them both for lunch.'

'Emma.' Charming sighed. 'Henry's at school today and Killian's helping Belle. What's going on?'

'I... erm, Henry truanted! I'm going to get him, mom just called my cell. Killian said he'd help me find him.' Emma lied,  _crap she was going to owe henry one for this_.

'Emma.' Charming said sternly, and Emma wondered not for the first time how he managed to make one word sound so disappointed that she wanted to tell him the truth. 'Your cell's been dead for a couple of hours now, and I know for a fact that you don't have a charger here.' Emma opened her mouth to protest. 'I also know that your mother didn't call the station phone, because I would have heard it. So sit down.' He countered, crossing his arms. 'Now.' He commanded when his daughter didn't budge.

Emma sighed despite knowing deep down that she wouldn't be able to hide it.  _Okay she was just going to have to make her dad pity her so much that he wouldn't take her the hospital_.

'What's going on Em?' Charming asked gently, moving so he was crouched on eye level in front of her.

'Okay, I'll tell you but you have to promise not to overreact.'

'Okay, I promise not to overreact.' He replied cautiously

Emma slowly rolled her sleeve up revealing her balloon sized wrist.

Charming sucked in a wincing breath between his teeth. 'What happened? And when did this happen?' he demanded protectively.

'When we were chasing Willie.' She slumped in her chair, a pout played on her lips as she tried not to sulk about her injury. 'I still don't think it's fair that nursery rhyme characters are real. But saying that I'm still surprised that humpty dumpty-'She ranted 'Wait what are you doing?' she asked when she realised her dad was messing about with the phones.

'Changing the calls to go to my cell. Then we can set off to get your arm sorted.'

'No.'

Emma's brief answer caused Charming to turn around to face her, 'No?'

'No I'm not going.' She sulked, she tried to cross her arms but ended up trying not to cry when her injured arm connected with her uninjured one.

Charming pressed the final button he needed, then pinched the bridge of his nose as he crouched in front of Emma again. 'Em, I know you try to avoid this sort of thing, but you really need to go. I'm pretty sure you've broken you wrist so you need to get it sorted out.' He explained gently.

'I'm not just trying to avoid it. I hate doctors. And hospitals, like full blown phobia. There's weird smells and random machines, and people you don't know asking intimate questions, and people who could be anyone just milling around freely-'

'Clowns.' Charming interrupted 'That's my phobia, they were a bit different in the enchanted forest, but they still creep me out here.' He clarified.

'But you watched the Joker in Batman!'

'He admits he's evil. But that's not the only thing that made it easier, it made it easier having my family around me.'

'Nice try, but you only had to watch him. Having people around wouldn't help actually being in the situation.'

_Okay time to pull out the big guns,_  Charming thought to himself. 'Okay I'm going to tell you something, but it you tell anyone you'll be grounded 'til you're 50. Got it?' Emma nodded curiously. 'You mom has a phobia of butterflies.'

'No she doesn't! If she did she would have told me when I was making light butterflies for Neal!' Emma protested, but took one look at her father's face and saw he was serious. 'Wait, how come she didn't say anything?' she asked slightly panicked.

'Emma it's okay.' Charming reassured. 'She did it because she saw how much her children loved it and how much they were bonding because of it. When she was a child load flew in her face and made her loose balance on the tree she was climbing, the phobia developed from there. I'm not saying having people completely gets rid of the fear, but it certainly doesn't hurt.'

Emma sat for a moment processing the information. 'When I was a baby I was pretty small, premature or whatever. I had to spend the first 6 years of my life constantly at different doctors. Then as I got older, some of the foster parents weren't exactly ideal citizens. I'd end up dumped myself at hospitals for hours getting injuries treated and documented whilst social workers tried to figure out where to dump me.' Emma admitted, trying not to sound bitter.

'I'm so sorry kiddo. That should never have happened. But I promise you, I'm not going to leave you, I'll be there with you in every room, and if they don't let me in the x-ray room I'll be right outside. And if you feel uneasy around doctors I'll happily punch Whale again for you.'

They shared a smirk at the latter idea. Emma slowly nodded, causing Charming to grin proudly at her.

'Hey dad?' Emma asked as they walked out of the station and towards the car. 'What would happen if I happened to mention to mom that I know about the butterflies?'

'Well you'd be helping me find the spare pillows and blankets, cause I'd be sleeping on the couch.'

A mischievous smile erupted across Emma's face.

 


	11. Operation Penguin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Was going to be fully fluff but apparently my brain automatically creates angst, but theres a fluffy end

'YOU COULD HAVE DIED CHARMING!' Emma heard her mother screech from downstairs.

Emma and Charming had barely been home that week. A hunter by the name of Clayton had been targeting people with magical abilities and people such as Red who possessed forms of magical blood. He had thought he could sacrifice them to fuel a portal back to his own realm.  
Emma had set a trap for Clayton using herself as bait, much to Charming's ignorance. By the time Charming had realised what Emma was up to he was almost too late – If Emma hadn't used her magic to quickly move Clayton's gun Charming wouldn't have been alive. By the time they got back to the loft David had realised how scared Snow would have been to realised how close to death Emma had been. As soon as they got through the door it became apparent to the pair that Snow had however, found out how close Charming had come to death. Emma tried to tell her mother the truth but had been ordered, much to her discontent, to go up to her room and leave them to 'discuss matters'.  
Half an hour after arriving home, Emma could still hear their 'discussion'.

'I was  _fine_  Snow, I can look after myself.' Charming responded heatedly

'Oh so would you have  _fine_  to have Emma see you be shot?  _OR WORSE!'_

'I wasn't going to be Snow. Anyway I'm not exactly the only one to have done something stupid to protect our family.'

'What the hell is that meant to mean?'

'Well you were fine to leave all of us after killing Cora. Hell, if Regina hadn't of decided to not kill you - WE wouldn't even be having this conversation. Let alone have Neal. Emma would have come home to see the person who was both her best friend and her mother not there. So I think in the history of our family, my stepping in the save E- to save our town, and our friends, isn't the stupidest.'

Emma groaned internally, her dad  _had_  to bring that up didn't he. Emma listened carefully to try hear her mother's response but could only her mumbling followed by the front door being slammed.

Emma tiptoed down the stairs, curious to know which parent had left and anxious to try rectify her mistakes. As she soundlessly descended, she realised how much like a child she felt. She shook her head to clear this thought and looked towards the single silhouette behind the curtain guarding her parents' room. She pulled back the curtain to see her father piling some blankets and pillows into his arms.

'That well, huh?' she joked uncharacteristically timidly. She seemed to sink into herself her shoulders hunched, as if to protect herself from harm, waiting for her father to shout or blame her like so many pseudo-fathers had in the past.

Charming turned his head to Emma, his eyes kind as he took Emma in, smiling reassuringly at her. He nodded his head at the blankets, 'The joys of arguing with your mother', he smiled sardonically and started to walk towards the couch.

'I'm sorry.' Emma said quietly, stopping Charming from walking out the room.

'Your mom and I's disagreement isn't your fault Emma.' He frowned.

'-But if I tell her the truth, you'll be-'

'No, Emma.' Charming interrupted firmly. 'Do you know how close we came to losing you today?'

'….Well, I don't know, I mean he wasn't particularly good, most his traps didn't work, I don't know how he got Jane and Tarzan…' Emma rambled.

'The traps didn't work as I managed to trigger them so they wouldn't go off on you if you reached them. That's why it took me so long to get to you. Then when he was about to … well I managed to knock him a bit so he wouldn't hit you. You knew what he was doing, you shouldn't have gone out,  _especially_  without telling me and us setting up a plan. Together. '  
Emma looked down, ashamed she really had caused the fight despite what her father said, if she hadn't of acted so rashly none of this would have happened. She'd almost got her father killed!

'Emma, you still saved me.' He reassured. 'But this fight is between your mother and I, it's not your fault. On saying that,' Charming paused waiting for Emma to look up at him again. 'You acted with complete disregard for your own safety and own life. I'm not going to let that slip. You're now on desk duty or patrol with me until I can trust you to be out on patrol again by yourself.'

'What! I'm not a kid! You can't just-'

'I know you're not a child.' He responded calmly. 'But as we're both sheriff and as I am still technically presiding royalty, and also as your father  _regardless_  of your age, I can. So you shan't be out on patrol until I said otherwise. Got it?'

Emma sighed and crossed her arms over her chest petulantly, but did not argue.

Charming started to turn before stopping and looking back at a still sulking Emma. 'And Emma? Promise me you won't get involved in your mom and I's fight.' He waited to see Emma nod before he turned off and headed to the living room. He did not, however, see Emma smile and uncross her fingers.

A few days later Emma was sat in the station, her father seemed to still be serious about her staying on desk duty – no matter how small the call out was. So there she was, sat behind a wall of paperwork when the station phone rung. She quickly picked it up, hoping it was something exciting that couldn't wait until her father came back.  
'Sheriff Swan speaking.'

Emma hung up the phone and sighed, of course it was just her luck to have a cat stuck up a tree down Main Street. She sat staring at her keys for a moment, 'Well' she thought to herself, 'They didn't say what type of cat it was… It could easily be a really big dangerous cat, so really this could be an emergency that can't possibly wait 'til dad gets back…' She grabbed her keys and wrote a quick note telling her dad there was an emergency so she  _had_  to go.

  
  
'Shit' Emma muttered as she lay stuck on a branch. Her arms were bleeding from cuts caused by the housecat which had abandoned Emma by jumping down.  
She heard someone chuckle from below her.  
'You okay there Em?' Asked Red with laughter in her voice.

'Yeah, y'know just hanging out.' She paused. 'I may be stuck...'

'You by any chance tell your dad you were here?'

'Of course why?'

'Because, he's currently speeding down Main Street. Oh and full disclosure your mother was right behind me so she'll be here in a minute. You want a hand down?'

'On second thoughts I might just stay up here…'

Red chuckled, 'Sorry kid, you have to face them anyway so I may as well give you a hand.' And started to climb up the tree to retrieve her would-be goddaughter.

'Emma?! What on earth are you doing up a tree?' came her mother's confused and slightly concerned voice from below.

Emma felt her face burn as she heard her dad's truck pull up. Red bit her lip and tried not to laugh at Emma's reaction as she helped her down.

'Emma. What was the emergency?' Charming asked crossing his arms as he stood next to Snow and Neal's pram with a stern expression on his face.

Emma looked down as she scuffed her shoes on the pavement, knowing if she answered she would be in much more trouble than she already was.

'Emma?' her mom demanded sternly.

Emma slowly looked up 'I erm… I was rescuing a… a cat…' She muttered.

Charming sighed and pinched his nose.  
Snow looked between her husband and daughter. 'Does one of you want to tell me what's going on?'

Charming turned to his wife, 'Emma was meant to be on desk duty, because – well that doesn't matter she was meant to be a desk duty' he turned his head to give Emma a disappointed look, 'I was out on call and came back to the station to a note saying that there was an emergency that was time sensitive that Emma went out to on Main Street.'

'Emma!' Snow exclaimed. 'Do you know how much that would have scared your father to come back to? You're coming back to the loft with Neal and I so we can clean up your arms and you can take a sick day.'

'But- !'

'Emma this is not up for discussion.' Charming demanded. He nodded at Snow as if to thank her for her help, and Snow nodded back coldly as if they had both suddenly remembered their shunning of the other.

 

A few hours later Emma managed to escape the loft and her mother's glares by claiming she had already promised to pick Henry up from school.

'So what you up to?' Henry smiled knowingly as he sat in the bug.

'Okay you know how grams and gramps have been arguing, or not even like talking to each other?' She paused as henry nodded. 'Well, I have a plan. When they were erm-'

'Telling you off?' Henry offered with a smug grin.

'I wouldn't have called it that but fine. Anyway, when they were they actually bothered to speak to each other. So all I need to do is to do something to make them go  _way_ overprotective and then trick them into talking about their own problems. And I even have a name for it – the parent trap. Get it? Like the movie.'

'It sounds like a good plan, except the name. It should be called operation penguin though.'

Emma shook her head, not even bothering to ask about the name connection. She pulled into a parking space next to the store.

Twenty minutes later Emma was dropping Henry off at Regina's for the weekend.

'Okay so you're actually going to try withstand the wrath of Grams after you attack her and Gramps with food dyed water balloons? Please get someone to video it for me.' Henry joked wiping laughter tears from his eyes.

'You know you could always help me?' Emma offered hopefully.

'Yeah, no thanks. I quite like living.'

 

 

Emma was pulling into the car park when she heard her phone buzz. She looked down to see that her mother was calling her. She slammed on the brakes as quickly as she could, when she looked up and saw she almost collided with her dad's car. As she did the water balloons, which had been lying on the backseat, flew through the air and hit Emma.

'Emma!' Charming cried as he flew out of his car and opened her door.

'I'm fine.' She assured trying to wipe the water from her eyes.

Charming took her in with his eyes, as if expecting her to be lying about any injuries, she seemed fine although he found it hard to tell due to the dye that was sinking into her skin, hair, and clothes. He looked at from Emma to her car, confused – judging from her mood earlier Snow wouldn't have been likely to have let Emma out of her sight. And then there was the fact that her bug looked like a student's art studio.  
He nodded towards the building, 'Upstairs.' He said simply.

  
  
By the time a now soaked Emma had made it up to the loft she was freezing and her head was pounding from bumping t slightly.

'Emma where have you been I've been call-'Snow had her back to the front door but turned to face the door when she heard it shut 'Emma! What happened?'

'That's what I'd like to know also.' Charming said crossing his arms and nodding towards a chair at the table indicating it would be good plan for Emma to sit down and start talking.

Emma sat down at the table, realising the serious look on her dad's face. Snow walked over and sat down next to her husband, both facing Emma.

'Emma what are you covered in? I thought you were going to take Henry to Regina's? What took you so long?' Snow asked confused.

'Food dye. And I did, I just had to go get some stuff first.'

Charming sighed. 'What stuff Emma? And what for? Your mother and I would like the whole truth please.'

'Me and Henry had a plan, well I had a plan – I just needed him as an excuse to get out of the loft. I needed to get food dye and water balloons.' She looked down at her hand in her lap and started fidgeting. 'I was going to use them on you two.' She muttered.

'On us?' Snow echoed surprised. 'Why?'

Emma looked up at her parents faces, expecting to see angry glares. But instead she saw the faces of two of the people she loved most in the world, looking confused and concerned. The two who shared true love yet had barely talked in days, and she took a shaky breath.

'You two have barely been talking, the only time you do is to try keep up appearances around me or Henry, or to make sure someone's there to pick up Neal or take him to Granny's. But you talked earlier when you were both telling me off, so I thought if I did something that would get you to try scold me – I could get you both to talk.' She looked at their faces again and saw the confusion and concern had increased but had also added sadness now. 'But when I was about to park I glanced down at my phone for a split second then when I looked up I realised I was about to crash into dad's car so I slammed on the breaks. The water balloons exploded over me.'

'Emma.' Her mother sighed sadly. 'I'm sorry sweetheart, are you hurt at all?'

'My head hurts a little, but there's more to the story.' She took a long intake of breath. 'Dad and I didn't tell you the truth about our run in with Clayton the other day.'

Emma went on to explain how hard it had been to trap Clayton, and what he had been doing. She told her parents how she had decided to set a trap for him, and what the plan was. The she explained to her mother that her dad had realised she was gone and went to try stop her getting caught. Then she explained how it had gone wrong, and that she had almost got both her father and herself killed. As she was explaining Charming sat staring at his hands much like his daughter had moments before.

Snow sat in silence trying to digest the information, then nodded once. 'Emma.' She spoke softly. 'You should go shower to get all that dye off you, then you need to put an icepack on your head.'

Emma obliged, realising her mother was planning to speak to Charming in her absence. She made for the upstairs shower, stopping as she reached the first step, 'Mom, don't blame dad for not telling you. When Clayton almost shot me, it terrified him- he didn't want you to feel that scared.' Snow nodded reassuringly and watched her daughter ascend the stairs.

'Snow, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you, it's just I almost let her down. Again. I didn't want you to know how close we came to losing her.'

'Charming you listen to me.' Snow said not unkindly. 'You have never let her down. She adores you, and is so, so grateful that you're always there for her – especially when she needs it. But please next time just tell me. I'd rather be scared about what could have happened, than angry about a lie.'

Charming chuckled slightly, 'Deal. I'm so sorry about what I said when we were arguing. I should never have said those things, what happened with Cora was not your fault and I had no right in bringing it up. That's part of the reason I stayed away, despite being apart from you breaking my heart, I was disgusted in myself.'

 

By the time Emma went down the stairs almost an hour later her parents were snuggled on the couch. Charming smiled as her heard her approach, then stood up to grab an ice pack for her.  
'Come sit down sweetie.' Snow said, moving so Emma could sit between her parents 'Thank you for trying to get your father and I to talk again, even if I don't approve of your methods.'

'So that means I'm off the hook, right?' Emma asked hopefully with a cheeky yet charming smile.

Charming walked back over to where his girls sat with a now wide awake Neal and an ice pack. 'In your dreams princess' He said with laughter in his voice as he passed Neal to Snow, and the icepack to Emma. 'You're in a whole world of trouble. It does mean though, that we can all sit and watch movies tonight.' He smiled 'If you want that is.'

'That depends on whether you two will finally watch Harry Potter with me.' She teased.

'Hey! I watched them with you!' Snow said, remembering a movie marathon Emma had made her partake in during the first curse.

'You fell asleep during it, so it doesn't count.'

Charming chuckled as he placed the DVD into the player, then grabbed a blanket to cover his family with, and sat back down. He was slightly surprised that as soon as he sat down, Emma snuggled down so she was as close as possible to both her parents, whilst holding her brother's hand.

The Charmings sat in a content silence as music filled the loft.


	12. A very merry unbirthday to you! Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first of two parts. I always thought it would be interesting to see how The charmings react and celebrate different holidays. Enjoy!

Emma stood with a towel in her hand, unknowingly drying a dish that was long since dry. Charming glanced over at his daughter from where he stood washing up. He frowned when he noticed she was in a world of her own. He finished off cleaning the last dirty plate, drained the sink and walked up to Emma, taking the dish out of her hand gently- causing her to start.

'Em? You okay?' his hand automatically came up to check her temperature. 'You're a little warm. Do you feel sick?' he frowned.

Emma shook her dad's hand off, trying not to show her smile at his concern. 'I'm fine dad, it's just hot in here.' She shrugged.

'Sure honey.' Charming frowned again clearly not believing Emma that she was well. 'Is there another reason you're in your own world?'

Emma started messing about with the towel in her hand and waited a couple of minutes before answering. 'I was mom's roommate for almost a year, and I've seen her most days since then.' She paused for a second frowning. 'But I don't even know when her birthday is.' She trailed off, feeling ashamed.

Charming instantly pulled Emma into a hug, finding it adorable that this was the reason she was being quiet. After a couple of minutes he realised Emma still hadn't pulled away from the hug, he gently moved away so he could see her face, keeping hold of her arms.  
'Em, it's okay. It's not your fault.' He soothed. 'The last time we were without a curse on her birthday you and Henry were in New York with Gold tracking Neal down. Last year your mom and I were in the Enchanted Forest. I didn't tell you because she doesn't celebrate her birthday, she doesn't even like people knowing. I only know cause she once told me while she was ill, I don't think she even likes the fact I _know_ , to be honest.' He explained.

'What! Why doesn't she celebrate her birthday?' She asked, her face shocked. Even she had celebrated her birthday despite being alone.

Charming tilted his head to the side, 'Have you still not read the story book?' he asked- slightly shocked that after all this time Emma still hadn't read it. Gaining him a guilty smile in return. 'When she was young she was getting ready for her birthday ball, when her mother, you're Grandmother Eva, fell ill. She didn't survive. She hasn't celebrated it since.' He told Emma gently, even though Emma hadn't known her grandmother, he still felt he should tell her sensitively. He was so shocked to see how saddened Emma looked at the news he pulled her into another hug.

After about five minutes Emma pulled away. 'Wait, I have an idea. When's mom's birthday?'

'In a couple of weeks. But Emma, she  _really_  doesn't like to celebrate it.' he said softly

'We won't celebrate it. We'll throw her an unbirthday celebration instead, like a week before!'

'We'll throw her a what?'

'It's from Alice in Wonderland, Henry was telling Neal about it when we were babysitting. We celebrate it not being her birthday!' She exclaimed.

'So you know about the Hatter's story but not mine or your mothers?' he deflected.

'Please dad.' She stared at him with puppy dog eyes. 'Please let me do this for my mom.'

Charming sighed, unsure of how Snow would respond. 'Okay, but if we do this there are gonna be some restrictions.' He paused making sure he had his daughter's full attention. 'First, you have to make sure it's not overboard, okay? Just a small meal with us lot or something. Secondly you can't let people know about your mom's actual birthday, I don't think even Red knows so let's keep it like that.' He paused waiting for Emma to nod. 'And lastly you can't stress yourself out over this, your mom won't want you getting sick because of this. Deal?'

'Deal.'

 

Over the preceding week Emma managed to plan her mother's favourite foods from Granny's and order her a cake telling Red is was 'incredible important' she not ask what the cake was for, Charming throwing in different hints about different things his wife liked. Emma had even managed to enlist Henry's help with making decorations and making sure her mother knew about unbirthdays. All she had left to do was get her mom a present from her. The only problem was nothing seemed special enough.

She sat at her desk with her head in her hands and sighed.

'You okay Em?' Charming's voice forced Emma to look up at him. He frowned when he saw her face looking paler than usual. 'Emma, are you feeling alright?'

'Dad. I'm fine.' She whined, her dad had been, in her opinion, unnecessarily fussing over her for the past week. Sure she hadn't been feeling too great, but she was sure she would be fine!

He raised his eyebrows showing he didn't believe her in the slightest. 'If you're not ill, then what's up?' he asked dubiously.

'I still haven't got mom anything.' She muttered, getting up to make herself some coffee.

'Emma.' He sighed gently, 'The best present she could ask for is that you organised this and that you're there.'

Emma scoffed, 'No offence dad, but that is literally terrible and unhelpful. Even Neal got her a present, he's a baby and he's already doing better than me!'

Charming had to hide a smile. 'I didn't realise it was a competition.' He joked eliciting a small smile from Emma. 'But seriously Emma, she'll be happy to just be spending time with you.'

Emma smiled knowing her dad was right, but that didn't stop her wanting to get her something special. 'Hey is it okay if I take off early? I need to go pick up some movies from the store and I told Henry he could come.'

'Yeah, of course. Hey Em, can you pick up some cold and flu medicine I think I might be coming down with something.' He lied.

Emma nodded distractedly, grabbed her things and left.

 

'Hey kid, mind if we head to Gold's before going to the store? I still have to get something for my mom.' Emma asked as Henry climbed into the bug where it sat outside Regina's house.

'You haven't got her anything yet?'

Emma pursed her lips and shook her head in response.

'Don't worry mom, you'll find her something.' Henry reassured.

 

Emma looked through the store, her eyes darting at the varied objects; candlestick holders, gargoyles, about a million necklaces, and bizarre stuffed animals that Emma didn't even want to begin to imagine where they originally came from.

She browsed old music boxes disguised as Fabergé eggs, scarves and shawls from hot continents, hats and capes from cold ones. Hand illustrated books, cross stitched family trees, and a selection of children's toys that looked like they belonged in a horror movie.

She looked at one of the many bookcases beginning to give up hope that she'd ever find something. When an old leather bound book caught her eye, about the size of a child's picture book. It was a deep red colour so dark it was almost black. The stitched binding was looked like it might be actual gold, and embroiled on the front in the same gold colour was a small swan. Once she opened it however, she found the thick pages were blank. She flipped the pages back and forth, genuinely curious as to what could be contained within, hoping it was an optical illusion obscuring the contents.

'Hey Belle, is there meant to be anything in here?' Emma asked showing her the book.

'Um no, I don't think so, sorry.'

Emma frowned, a confused look crossing her face, as if part of her brain had an idea yet the other part hadn't realised.

'Belle! Who are these?' shouted Henry from between a collection of frames and a barricade of chairs.

Emma placed the book back and walked with Belle towards Henry. Belle took a look at the paintings and smiled.  
'That's Queen Eva and King Leopold, Snow's parents.' Belle said, subtly glancing at Emma as she did so, as if trying to gage her reaction to paintings of her royal family.

Emma gave a small smile but sighed internally. She stared at her kind faced grandparents, and thought about the birthdays she had spent by herself; whether whilst she was in care, the time she had spent after having Henry, until the day he knocked on her door. She thought about how Snow had mothered her before she even know who was, had tried to always put her first, had cared no matter how often Emma had tried to push her away, had made her laugh, and smile, and had dried her tears. Even though she hadn't yet spent her birthday with her parents, she knew for a fact that when she finally did it'd be full of love and happiness. Emma blinked back tears as she thought about the fact that her mom didn't get to do that with her own mom. At least not anymore.

'Hey kid you ready to go to the store?' If Henry heard the break in his mother's voice he didn't mention it.

 

It wasn't until Emma and Henry were stood staring at the DVD's that Henry asked if she'd found the present.

'No, there wasn't really anything. Hey kid grab the Harry Potters?' she said hoping to distract him, and to distract herself from the guilty feeling in stomach, surely it shouldn't be this hard?

'You know what object I'd have from the Harry Potter world?' Henry asked, remembering his fake memories growing up with Emma watching the magical movies, sensing his mom too needed a distraction. 'The paintings, I mean how cool is it that they could move and hear them speak!'

Emma chuckled, 'Henry you realise we have videos right? And like Facetime and skype and everything.'

'Yup. But these are paintings that is so much cooler!' He said proudly.

Emma frowned slightly as she paid, but by the time she and Henry were climbing into the bug Emma had a smile on her face. 'Hey kid, mind if we make a couple more stops?'

 


	13. A very merry unbirthday to you! Part 2

By the time Emma and Henry had managed to get home Charming and Snow were cooking dinner whilst Neal played in his bouncing seat.

Charming frowned slightly at how late they had got back knowing how early Emma had left the station. 'You two okay?'

'Yeah, we're fine. Hey Henry want me to take your rucksack upstairs? I'm going up anyway.' Emma croaked, grabbing the bag and heading towards the stairs without waiting for an answer.

Snow looked over at Charming alerted, having a silent conversation about their daughter. 'Emma, honey, are you feeling okay?' she asked gently.

Emma threw an 'I'm fine!' over her shoulder as she ascended the stairs.

  
Emma managed to get through dinner without snapping at her parents who both kept giving her concerned glances when they thought she wasn't looking. She retreated up to her room after wishing her son and parents a goodnight, under the pretence of needing 'an early night.'

She quickly showered and changed into comfy clothes to sleep in, grabbed the brown paper bag that had come home with her via Henry's rucksack and sat upon her bed.

  
She pulled out the back the red leather book she had gone back and bought from Gold's shop. She opened the book onto the first blank double page, set it flat on her bed and opened the photo app on her phone. When she and Henry went back to the shop she had taken pictures of; King Leopold and Queen Eva, one of a painting of the king, queen, and Snow when Snow was a little girl, and Emma's favourite - Charming and Snow's official wedding portrait.

Emma opened the picture of her Grandfather. She looked at his kind face, and imagined how he might have nodded in reassurance in the exact way that her mother did. As she concentrated on the photo and the mental image she hovered her hand over the left page. After a couple of minutes the page was filled with a perfect copy of the painting currently in Gold's shop. Well almost a perfect copy. With a slight twinkle in his eye, king Leopold slowly nodded at Emma.

Emma grinned broadly at the giddy excitement of managing to create something so spectacularly beautiful. On the page opposite the reanimated king she hovered her hand, flicked her phone so it displayed a picture of her grandmother and began to focus. This time instead of focusing on a reassuring nod, she thought about Eva as having the same kind smile as her daughter, a smile that was full of love. After another couple of minutes Eva's painting appeared and Emma received the first smile she had ever received off of a grandparent. Emma waiting a couple of minutes, staring at her grandparents, before she turned the page.

It wasn't until the next image appeared on the page of a new born Snow White and her parents did Emma realise she hadn't had to imagine Eva and Leopold were looking at Snow in a certain way, it had come naturally. It was the same expression her parents had on their faces when they looked at Emma, Neal, and Henry. It was true love.

Opposite this Emma recreated her parents wedding portrait, the looks in their eyes in the painting were the same looks they always looked at each other with – whether this was while making breakfast in the morning, or while trying to avoid having an argument. Their faces not quite frozen as they looked in wonder at each other, wondering how everything had gone so right. Emma gave a small smile as she realised that, when this had been painted they probably wouldn't have been married yet- simply had to have the painting done officially beforehand. She saw the slightly carefree (if you could count ruling a kingdom carefree) look in their faces. They hadn't yet been threatened by Regina, they weren't even expecting Emma yet- let alone having to face the agonising concept that Emma would go on to become the saviour, before their plan of Snow going with Emma to this realm had failed, before Charming had basically died after saving his daughter from an impending death, and before waking up cursed – or in Charming's case not waking up straight away.

  
Emma went on working through the night, using photographs she had found around the loft, at the station, and ones she had herself already. Creating images of Charming and Snow dancing in the dining room to no music, Snow teaching Henry how to bake cupcakes – flour inevitably ending up everywhere, Snow sat with Neal propped up against her legs playing peek-a-boo, Snow and Emma laughing together after they had come back from the Enchanted forest, and countless others of Snow with her family. Emma had also found a couple of pictures of Snow and Red gossiping at Granny's- conspiratorial looks in their eyes. Regina and Snow both rolling their eyes at something happening off camera. And Snow joking with the dwarfs, Grumpy shaking his head at whatever was being said.

Emma had also animated photos she knew her mother loved; Emma and her dad trying not to laugh and failing -leaning against the station's car in a photo her mother had forced them to be in, Charming and Henry sparring with wooden swords, Emma and Henry throwing water bombs at each other. Henry pushing Neal's pram. And Charming rocking Neal to sleep in his arms but kept looking up to check on Emma who was sat working at the table.

Emma eventually reached the last double page barely keeping her eyes open both due to tiredness from using so much magic, and from what was in her opinion at most 'possibly a slight cold.' She stared the last double page she knew what image she wanted on the left – however did not possess an image of. Five minutes of concentration later and upon the page appeared Prince Charming and the bandit Snow White, it was a scene Emma had watched first hand – the first time her mother had tried on what would go on to be her engagement ring. Emma smiled at the picture, never finding her parent's falling in love grow old.

To the right of this Emma created her last image, it was from when she had just got back from seeing her parents fall in love in the past and was understandably exhausted. In the photo Emma was sat peacefully asleep with her also sleeping baby brother in her arms. Her parents looked at their children- enjoying that they got the chance to have their children there together. For Emma this was the first time she accepted that they were her parents, and that they would love her, wholeheartedly, no matter what.

Emma quickly worked her magic to wrap the present, she cleared the photos off of her bed, feeling as though she could sleep for a thousand years. She was asleep before she could even climb beneath the covers.

  
Two hours later Emma felt someone shaking her shoulder.

'Come on Em, if you want to surprise your mother you have to get up now.' Charming called softly.

Emma groaned, her throat felt like it was being cut open from the inside out. She pulled the duvet closer and shivered as she opened her eyes. Her dad gently sat on the edge of her bed, gazing down at her in concern, he brought his hand to Emma's forehead attempting to feel for her temperature. Emma ducked her head under the duvet to avoid Charming's fussing, and climbed quickly out of bed – grateful her dad didn't see her have to close her eyes to stop the room from spinning.

 

Emma picked up her present and descended the stairs with Charming close behind her, a concerned look still on his face as he realised how Emma's walk had a slight wobble to it. Emma gasped as she saw how her father had decorated the loft. He and Henry had been working together to create decorations, hanging above the living room was a white banner carefully announcing 'Happy Unbirthday!' Draped over every surface were clear fairy lights all shedding a soft light into the rooms, and hanging from the ceiling were what seemed to be hundreds of light blue, white, and silver birds all in different stages of flight. In every room stood a glass vase packed with dozens of Snowdrops.

Charming put his arm around Emma's shoulder pulling her close to gently kiss the top of her head before leading her over to the living room where Henry was sat grinning with a gurgling Neal in his arms.

Emma froze as soon as she sat down, as the family heard Snow start to shuffle around her bedroom- hidden from the family by a thick curtain. She was filled with an overwhelming fear and need to run, what if her mom hated it? After all she really didn't like celebrating her birthday. Charming saw the look of fear on his daughter's face so he reached over and squeezed her shoulder, he felt the heat radiate off of her as he did and stared worriedly at her. Luckily for Emma, Snow started to walk through the curtain before Charming could demand to take her temperature- distracting him at least for now. Henry passed Neal to Charming, ready to surprise his Grandma.

 

'Charming? What's going on?' Snow asked as she stepped out wrapped in her dressing gown. Her face contorted in confusion.

'Happy Unbirthday!' chimed Charming and Henry, whilst Emma mumbled it with an uncertain smile on her face.

'My unbirthday huh?' She asked bemused.

'It was my mom's idea! Gramps told her that you don't celebrate your birthday, so she decided we should celebrate your unbirthday instead. ' Henry beamed giving his Grandma a hug as he explained.

After hugging Henry, Snow made her way over to a slightly shivering Emma who was sat staring at the floor. Snow tilted Emma's head to look at her, 'You did this for me?'

'Yeah…' Emma awkwardly shrugged, her voice crackly and quiet.

'Thank you darling.' Snow kissed the top of her head, as she did she too felt how hot Emma felt, she cast a quick look to her husband. 'I'll go change Neal' she said taking her son out of her husband's arms and walking towards her bedroom.

'Are you cold Em?' Charming asked, this time managing to feel her forehead, attempting to gage her temperature.

Emma nodded, not bothering to avoid her dad's hand as she sank into the sofa, pulling herself into a ball as she did.

Charming smiled, 'I'll go grab you something.' He followed his wife to their bedroom.

 

'You told her about my birthday?' Snow asked quietly as her husband walked through the curtain, her eyes sad. Rocking her son in her arms.

'Snow, she thought she was a terrible daughter because she didn't know your birthday. I explained to her you don't like to think about it and that you don't celebrate it. She insisted on doing something, it's just her way of wanting to show you that we love you.' Charming drew his wife and son into a hug.

'I know. Thank you my Prince Charming.' She smiled gently kissing him. 'She definitely takes after her charming father, both in charm and stubbornness. She's definitely ill.' Snow sighed.

'Which is why I'm in here getting her something to stop shivering.' He picked up one of his plaid shirts out of his draw and a blanket from his and Snow's bed. 'I'll get breakfast started if you want to take your daughters temperature?' He shot a smile at his wife.

'Ha! No. Breakfast is easier than a sick Emma, so I'll get breakfast started while you sort  _your_  daughter out.' She laughed.

'It was worth a shot.' He joked back.

Charming and Snow walked out of their bedroom together, Charming heading over to his still shivering daughter and Snow heading to place Neal down in his bouncing seat.

 

'Here we go Em.' Charming said helping his daughter into the shirt.

'I'm going to go make us all some breakfast.' Announced Snow, raising a challenging eyebrow at her husband.

Charming rolled his eyes, 'And I'm gonna get your temperature Emma.'

'Wait! No!' Emma exclaimed, still not wanting to admit defeat.

Henry looked at his mother, 'Can we do presents first you guys?'

Emma cast a grateful smile to her son.

Snow and Charming didn't miss the exchange. 'Okay, I guess we can do presents first. Husbands first, then age order from the youngest. ' Charming said. 'Here you go sweetheart.' He handed his wife a small box shaped present.

Snow gave a small smile 'You know, you didn't have to get me anything.' She said, looking at her family as she carefully unwrapped the present, sitting down on an armchair.

Charming moved to sit next to Emma wrapping her in the blanket as he did. He smiled as she leant against him, placing his arm around her.

 

Snow unwrapped a square wooden jewellery box, she slowly opened it. She pulled out a silver charm bracelet filled with silver charms, upon which were strung several charms; one saying 'mom' on a heart, next to which were 'it's a girl' and 'it's a boy' charms respectively. A snowflake hung to represent her name, a best grandma charm was next to this, a bird, and a bow and arrow were next to a gold heart.

'For the heart we share.' Charming said softly. 'Henry can you grab Neal's present off the table?'

Henry passed the red present to Snow, who started to unwrap it. Inside was a long, rustic photo frame with sheep and crowns engraved into it, divided into three parts. In the centre section was a photo of the first time Emma had held Neal. It had taken her days to do so, so long in fact that her parents were starting to get worried – Charming had got home from the store to find his wife in the shower and Emma dozing with Neal awake staring at his sister. To the right of this image was Neal's handprint and his full name, with his date of birth. The first image was Emma's handprint, which Charming had managed to coerce her to do, along with her full name and date of birth.

Snow's hand went to her chest. 'Thank you Neal.' She said, kissing her son on his head. 'Thank you Charming.' She whispered to her husband, who smiled and winked in return.

'Here you go grandma.' Henry smiled as he handed his own present to Snow.

Snow unwrapped the small present to find a keyring of a small handmade leather book, when Snow opened it she found Henry had wrote and drawn the story of her and Charming falling in love.

'Gepetto helped me make it, you know in case you guys somehow lose all your memories again.' Henry joked.

Snow chuckled slightly 'Thank you Henry. It's beautiful.'

 

Emma leant forward to pass her mother her present. 'It's not much, it's okay if you don't like it.' Emma said quickly as she watched her mom slowly unwrap it.

Snow paused her unwrapping, 'Emma Swan, I'd love it no matter how big or small it is. Because it's from you, and that's all that matters. Understand?' she waited for Emma to nod before she continued to wrap the present, this time a bit quicker – not wanting to cause her daughter anxiety.

She smiled at the golden swan on the book, and opened the book. She gasped when she turned to the first full page and saw her parents looking up at her.

'What is it?' Charming asked, eyeing the tears in his wife's eyes, he felt his daughter tense and start to slowly pull away from him as she too saw the tears. He pulled Emma closer to him.

Snow stood up and placed the book into her husband's hands, then pulled her daughter into a hug kissing her forehead. 'Thank you honey.' She said into Emma's scalp, voice full of emotion.

'There's erm... there's more in there.' Emma said her voice breaking slightly.

Snow moved to sit on the arm of the chair with Henry stood behind her, the family all looking at the animated book.

 

'Is that…?' Snow asked as they got an animation of a toddler playing with a doll while clutching a blanket.

'Yeah, that's me. I used to drag my blanket with me everywhere, I'm surprised it's still intact.' She said reminiscently.

'Oh course it is, it has fairy dust in it.' Snow said kindly, not looking away from the book.

'You think we'd send our only daughter to an unknown place without at least a little bit of protection?' Charming pulled Emma into a side hug.

Emma shrugged, not wanting to think about all the years she had spent hoping they'd come back and get her- that the blanket would be a clue of some form. And the many more years she'd spent hating them.

Eventually they got to the last images, after which Snow gently shut the book as if almost fearing she'd hurt the animations. She individually pulled every member of the family into a hug, thanking them for their presents. Then decided to make breakfast, wiping tears from her eyes as she did.

Henry moved to entertain Neal, completely besotted by his young uncle.

 

'Okay Em, temperature time.'

'Dad. I'm fine.'

'That wasn't a question Emma. You're ill, whether you want to admit it or not; you can barely speak, you're boiling yet still shivering, you're obviously exhausted, and they're just the ones I know of. You're ill. So temperature.' He handed Emma the thermometer with a raised eyebrow, telling her silently that she should stop her complaining.

Begrudgingly Emma placed the thermometer in her mouth, leaning once again against her dad, letting her eyes flutter shut. Her eyes opened again as soon as the thermometer started beeping, she raised her hand to take it but was beaten by her dad. 'Seriously?' she muttered.

'Seriously.' He affirmed. 'Yeah, you have a temperature.'

'What was it?'

'A temperature.'

'Yeah, but what temperature?' she whined.

'101.5, you're going to have to sit up a minute so I can get you some tablets kiddo.'

'No.' Emma leaned even further against her father.

Charming sighed he loved the fact that Emma became cuddly when she got ill, but he really needed to get her temperature down. 'Emma, you're going to take medicine or you'll get seriously ill.'

''s not that… I'm comfy.' She replied in a sulky voice.

Henry chuckled at his mother's grumpy attitude 'I'll get it for you gramps.' He said standing up from where he sat with Neal.

'Henry, we're out of cold and flu medicine.' Snow called from the kitchen.

'Oh yeah. Em where did you put the medicine I asked you to get yesterday?' Charming asked.

Emma groaned in response and hid her face in her father's chest.

'Emma?' Charming asked seriously.

'I-kinda….. Forgot' she mumbled

'You can get some more after breakfast Charming, it's ready now.' Snow said bringing pancakes over to the table, she hated to break up their cuddle but she knew that everyone especially Emma needed to eat.

After breakfast the Charming's set about with getting dressed, bar Emma who retreated back to the couch and wrapped her parent's blanket around herself. Henry and Charming got ready to go collect the medicine, and to Snow's ignorance, the cake. Once Henry, Neal, and Charming left Snow went and sat next to Emma.

 

She smiled as Emma immediately led down so her head was on Snows lap. Snow started to stroke Emma's hair.

'I'm sorry I'm ill. '

'Oh, Emma! It's not your fault you're ill. And you shouldn't apologise for it.'

'But doesn't it remind you of… you know…'

'My mother?' Snow guessed, she felt Emma nod her head. 'Sweetheart that happened a long time ago. I stopped celebrating my birthday because her death hurt, and I felt alone. I had my father but he was the king so he was very busy. And I had my old nanny but she left when I got to a certain age. Even while I was with your father it felt like something was missing. And even though it still hurts, it doesn't feel like anything's missing anymore; I have an amazing husband, two beautiful children, and a brilliant grandson.' She paused. 'Thank you so much for today Emma, it means so much to me. Would you perhaps do this again next year? But maybe next year, we could have it on my actual birthday?'

Wordlessly Emma sat up and hugged her mother, nodding her head yes.

 

When Charming, Neal, and Henry came back Emma was telling her mom about the paintings in Gold's. After about twenty minutes Charming finally convince Emma to take her medicine in return for starting a Harry Potter marathon. She dozed in and out of the first two movies, waking up when the credits for 'The Chamber of Secrets' came on, due to a knock at the door. Snow opened it to see a smirking Red with bags of food. After the huge meal Snow blew her candles out, but found she already had what she was going to wish for.

Eventually they made their ways back to the couches, Emma nestled between her parents cuddled under her father's arm, Neal sat gurgling in his mother's arms, and Henry sat in an armchair.

'Yes! This is my favourite!' Emma said excitedly. Charming and Henry laughed, knowing she'd be asleep before Hogwarts was even on the screen.

Halfway through the film Henry turned to look at his family, he chuckled quietly when he realised they were asleep. He took out his phone and took a picture of the family. He knew what photo he was going to be asking his mom to re-create.

 


	14. The Lost Princess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I got a request ages ago about someone calling Emma your highness and daddy charming, so heres a bit oof a different take on that.  
> Set as though Emma broke the curse while she was 18, she's now 20 and deputy. Her parents are about 32/33 and Charming is Sheriff. Emma's characterisation is changed in subject to the age change.

Although the residents of Storybrooke seemed, to Emma at least, to be mainly made up of royalty, of both Disney and fairy tale varieties, there were still a surprising amount of ordinary people who lived there. Emma had also thought due to the bizarre situation of habitation of said residents, they would be completely unfazed to royalty.

Perhaps it had something to do with her parents' sizable kingdoms, or their epic quests to take them back, or their adventures to help people whilst making their ways back to their true loves. Or perhaps it was her saviour status and the curse that had not only brought her there but also them. Whatever the reason, some of the Storybrookians seemed hyper-aware of Emma and her status as a member of the royal family. Whether or not Emma remembered this status herself.

 

Emma and Charming had been called out to a routine robbery at an elderly couple's house. The couple however, had seemed more preoccupied with following Charming around their house than the crime which had taken place. If you could class stolen china horse statues as a crime- which Emma most certainly did not. In fact Emma wasn't even sure if any had been stolen, and if anything had she was astounded the bespectacled octogenarians could tell.

The bungalow seemed to be covered in what could only be described as clutter. The wood panelled walls were wallpapered with pastel paintings of various country landscapes, cross stitches of chocolate box cottages, cook coo clocks, and several wooden puppets which Emma felt the need to be offended by on behalf of August. Apparently even the elderly residents of a distant magical worlds couldn't escape the horrors of what could only be described as 'granny carpet', the autumn style colours with depressing vine pictures. The carpet was taken up with rugs, statues of animals with bows wrapped around their necks, and table's holds ornaments, all in pristine condition.

Charming had somehow been wrangled into yet another cup of tea by the slightly scary elderly woman, Emma was left stuck in the living room finishing the complaint paperwork with the elderly man, Mr Smith.

'So princess, you gonna get us back our horses?' The man casually asked looking up at Emma who was standing above him as he sat in a recliner.

'What?' Emma crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

'Sorry, I mean 'your royal highness.'' Mr Smith apologised, Emma however interpreted this as sarcastic mocking.

'What the hell. I'm here to help you! I don't care how old you are or who the friggin' hell you were in whatever bloody realm you're from, you don't have to-'

 

'I'm sorry sir, my daughter obviously forgot to have her morning coffee.' Charming interrupted, grasping onto the top of Emma's arm restraining her from her rant at the shocked and annoyed looking man. 'I'll finish up the forms here.' He smiled at the couple, he turned his head slightly towards Emma still not looking at her. 'Why don't you go wait in the car?' He added in a slightly lower voice.

Emma crossed her arms shaking off her father's hand as she did so, turning her scowl towards him. 'I can do the forms.'

Charming turned to look at her, a stern look hiding behind a casually pleasant exterior. 'No. I'll finish here, please go wait in the car.' Emma hesitated, part of her wanted to do as her dad said. Sadly an even bigger part of her wanted to rebel against her father, to carry on sticking up for herself against the creepy old man. Charming saw the stubborn determinism in her eye. He lowered his voice to just above a whisper. 'Now Emma.'  
Reluctantly Emma walked out to the squad car, managing to stop herself from stomping on her way.

Emma attempted to start her rant to her father as soon as he got in the car, however Charming managed to silence her with simply a look. By the time the pulled into the station car park Emma was seething with rage.

 

She stormed out of the squad car and into the station, slamming every door as she went narrowly avoiding hitting her father in his face multiple times. She was about to go sulk in the empty sheriff's office when she heard her father's booming voice.

'EMMA SWAN. STOP THERE.  _RIGHT NOW_.'

Emma debated ignoring her father, surely it wouldn't be any harder than ignoring the almost countless foster careers and social workers who acted 'in loco parentis' while she was young. But there was something else, some different form of authority, some obligation Emma felt to actually do as her father said. Even if it were somewhat reluctantly. She stared at the office door. Her dad rarely raised his voice so logically she knew she should turn around and listen to him. But then she thought about how her dad hadn't listened to her in the car ride back, how he didn't try to stick up for her. Even though he always stuck up for her, even when she thought she didn't need it, he didn't try this time which hurt Emma more than she'd ever want to admit. She felt both anger and disappointment run through her veins making her heart beat faster. She caught sight of her face in the reflection in the glass, she cringed internally when she saw how much like her prepubescent self.

Charming took a deep breath. He'd heard the entire conversation between Mr Smith and Emma and had no idea what had caused her to act so rude and... well downright disrespectful. He just couldn't believe it, by the time he'd apologised umpteen times and finally escape from the macabre home, he was so frustrated with his daughter he decided to wait until he had cooled down to speak to her. However by the time he got to the station he realised Emma was about ready to boil over, slamming doors as though she were a child having a tantrum.

He stared at his daughter and took in the tense way she was standing and the way her shoulders were raising and falling as her breathing became worryingly fast with anger. 'Emma, come sit down.' He said with a quiet authority. After a minute Emma turned around, face like thunder, but stayed where she was.  
' _Now_  Emma.' He said slightly more sternly. This time Emma started to move over to where Charming stood pulling out the chair that sat opposite his desk. She begrudgingly sat down as he sat opposite her behind the desk.

'Okay Em, sit there quietly until you've calmed down some.' He said calmly staring into Emma's glaring eyes as he did.

'What! No I'm no-'

' _Emma_. I said quietly and calmly.' Charming chastised firmly in response to Emma's outburst.

  
Charming started to work on a file, glancing up at Emma throughout hoping to see her having cooled her temper. However every time he looked she looked mutinous, her arms crossed and scowling at his desk. Eventually he finished two files and looked up to see Emma looking almost nervous; her arms were still crossed but now it looked like they were protecting her not defiant, her leg bounced subconsciously, and she sat biting her lip.

Emma finally noticed her leg bouncing she tried to stop it but couldn't, so she sat starting at it. Her stomach felt like it was doing somersaults, she thought that her dad hadn't looked at her since they'd sat down and he was majorly pissed. Although she knew that she didn't technically have to sit there she felt glued to the seat out of fear, after all in the past when she'd made anyone angry they'd got rid of her. She sat and waited for the inevitable.

  
'Emma.' Charming called gently.

Emma looked up slowly attempting to guard her face from all her feelings, her gaze falling to his shoulder, determined not to look him in the eye.

'Are you ready to talk?'

Emma's eyes snapped to his- surprised at his mild tone, nodded, then quickly looked back down.

Charming started his lecture in a firm voice. 'Emma, how you behaved today was not acceptable. Not as deputy, and not as my daughter-'

  
Emma stood up, she knew what was coming next, because after all it always happened. But she didn't think she could get survive having it done to her by her dad. She made for her desk, grabbing an empty box and starting to pack the few items she had on top.

'Emma. What on earth are you doing?' He waited worried with his daughter's strange behaviour.

Emma continue to pack as if she couldn't hear him.

Charming moved from his desk to stand behind her, he placed his hands on her shoulders and gently turned her around. 'Em. Why are you packing kiddo?' He paused hoping for an answer but received none. 'Em, look at me a second.'

He saw the fear in her eyes as she finally looked up.

'Are you packing up because you think I'm firing you? I'm not firing you Emma. I'm not getting rid of you okay?'

Emma nodded sceptically.

  
Charming directed her back to the chair she previously resided, he perched on his desk in front of her. 'Emma, what's going on sweetheart? Why did you just start packing?'

'You don't want me anymore.' Emma muttered sadly.

Charming sat shocked, how had everything spiralled out of control so quickly? 'Emma, of course I want you. Nothing you could do, or say, would make me not want you. Got it?'

Emma nodded and finally looked up at her dad, seeing his concerned face.

'Em, what made you so angry today? Mr Smith was a little creepy yes, but I don't think it warranted that reaction.'

Emma frowned slightly. 'He was being really rude! He kept calling me princess and was mocking me!'

Charming pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Emma sweetheart, you technically are a princess. Some of the residents, especially the older ones, will naturally call you princess – it's what they've been brought up doing. He wasn't being mocking. But even if he were, you still shouldn't have acted that way. In fact I've seen you bring in people who are mocking you, and threatening you, and you've acted calmer doing so. So what was different?'

'...Nothing.' Emma muttered, looking down in hope to dissuade further conversation.

'Em,' Charming sighed. 'Come on kiddo this isn't like you. You can talk to me, about anything.'

Emma shrugged in response, still refusing to look up. 'It's nothing.'

'Em, it's making you quiet, distant, angry; it's not nothing.'

  
Emma looked up at her dad her eyes wide, even after the years she spent with her parents she still wasn't used to people putting her first. She wasn't used to people caring.

Charming's heart broke when he saw tears starting to form in her green eyes, sometimes he forgot how young she was. 'Is it to do with your past?' He asked softly, holding her hand gently stroking his thumb over her knuckles.

'He...reminded me of someone.' She gave a small cough in the back of her throat. 'A foster father. H-... He used to get stressed so he'd get drunk and take it out on me and a couple of other kids. Eventually some teachers couldn't look away anymore, he broke my arm. I was six.' Emma spoke quickly, trying to minimalize her suffering.  
Charming tried to swallow his anger, not letting it show on his face as he knew if Emma saw it she misunderstand it and attribute it to anger at her.  
Emma shook her head, trying to shake off the memory. 'Anyway, he used to mock me like Mr Smith wa- like I thought Mr Smith was.' She took a shaky breath. 'I'm sorry I shouldn't have got angry, I'll apologise tomorrow. Please don't get rid of me.' She begged.

Charming couldn't take it any longer, he brought Emma into a hug. 'Hey, I already told you, you're not going to be fired. I would never get rid of you.' He soothed, hearing her start to cry into his shoulder. 'It's okay baby. I got you.' He rocked her slightly as they sat in an embrace, Charming wishing he could have protected her all her life.

  
Over the course of the next week Charming and Snow had made sure all residents knew not to call any of the Charming royal names, under the pretence that all members thought it would be more appropriate in the realm they lived in. If Emma noticed people no longer referring to her parents as royalty, she certainly didn't mention it. Charming took Emma to apologise to the couple, making sure they weren't too hard on her. Emma slowly and nervously started to share some stories from her past, which contain far too many sad ones. And even though half of them broke Snow and Charming's hearts, they were only too happy to know their daughter trusted them enough to share with them the part of her life she tried not to think about.

  
Some weeks later Charming and Emma were stood waiting to collect food from Granny's when Emma felt a small hand tapping her leg.  
'You're the lost princess! I wish I was a princess that's the best thing you could be!' A small girl chattered excitedly.  
Emma crouched down, 'I am, but it's not the best thing you could be.' A confused look crossed the girls face. 'It's better to be kind, loyal, and brave than to be a princess.'  
Charming smiled with a proud fondness down at his daughter, and knew title or not she was an amazing person and role model. And no matter how old she was he wouldn't let her get hurt again.


	15. Growing with her love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set during/just after season 3 part two.

Eventually all the Charmings knew that the loft would become too small for the family.  
When the first curse broke, Snow was petrified that Emma would immediately want to move out and was rather surprised when she didn't, even Charming seemed to be holding his breath waiting for Emma to suddenly announce she was moving. Eventually they started to put these worries towards the back of their minds. They struggled through Snow and Emma having only just made it back from the Enchanted Forest, through Cora, through Greg Mendel wanting them destroyed, and almost losing each other in the process, Henry getting kidnapped, having to travel Neverland to save him – Emma almost losing her parents again in the process due to Charming almost getting trapped there.  
Then the second curse came and they weren't as lucky. It came and passed almost without their knowing. If it were not for Charming and Snow's hearts which ached with loss of their daughter and grandson.  
They assumed that they would never see them again, their heads were cloudy with the loss of a year, and their hearts raced with fear and excitement at the prospect of having another child. They were still sat in shock, having just woke up in the loft, when there was a knock at the door. That was when it started.

* * *

'Laugh all you like Charming, I'm sure the loft got bigger in this curse.' Snow grumbled.

Charming chuckled softly, 'All I'm saying, my love, is that it might seem like you have to walk further because you're getting tired easier. You _are_ pregnant after all.'

Snow shot him a glare that would scare lesser men. 'That's weird David, I seem to remember still having to rule a kingdom last time I was pregnant. Yet, even then, the palace didn't get bigger.' She shot back sarcastically.

Charming cringed at her use of his name rather than the usual nickname. Yet he still opened his mouth ready to argue his point, when the door of the loft opened, pausing his possibly dangerous reply.

'Hey guys.' Emma said glancing at her parents and heading towards the fridge.

Charming and Snow looked at each other in amusement as their daughter tried to find something to eat.

'Emma?' Snow called with a smile on her face, waiting for Emma to look up. 'Hi.'

Emma blushed, realising she had practically blanked her parents, 'Sorry, I should have knocked…'

'Don't be sorry, this is still your home too sweetheart.' Snow said, smiling gently at Emma.

Emma hid her face behind the fridge door once again. It had been her home yes, the only one she had ever known, filled with love and laughter, good memories as well as the bad. But she and Henry had moved to New York – then that had become her home. Surely her parents knew that she wasn't going to stay? She and Henry had to get back to their other home – _their real one_ , she tried to justify in her head. Hell, Henry didn't even remember growing up in Storybrooke, let alone Emma's 'friends' being her parents and his grandparents.  
'I just wanted something good to eat.' She sighed, seeing a distinct lack of chocolate or candy.

'There's fruit and things in there.' Snow said, trying not to roll her eyes at Emma's diet, she really was as bad as a teenager sometimes.

'Yeah, I said _good_ food.' Emma half whined.

Charming held back a chuckle, it seemed that Emma's junk food diet hadn't lessened in the time she'd been away. He saw his wife open her mouth, ready to lecture Emma about eating properly, so he jumped in. 'Go sit down Em, I'll make you a grilled cheese.'

Emma paused not wanting to have to depend on her parents too much. That way, she thought, it'd be easier when she left them. On the other hand, she had missed her dad making grilled cheese – for some reason it just tasted better when he made them. 'Thanks David.'

Charming tried not to be hurt by his daughter calling him that, after all, the only times she'd called him dad were when they thought that they were all dying, or about to be separated. He plastered on a smile and made his daughter some food- hiding some impossibly finely cut carrot in the red cheese: After all, his wife wasn't the only one who worried about their daughter's health. Luckily only Snow noticed the secret ingredient and mouthed a 'Thank you' at him. It seemed he wasn't completely in the dog house.

* * *

Charming sighed loudly opening every cupboard in the kitchen. 'Okay I'm officially losing it' he thought to himself as he pulled open yet another draw, finally finding his car keys.

'What's wrong?' Snow asked, a look of concern on her face as her eyes met her husband's confused face.

'Well I just found my keys in a _kitchen_ cupboard for starters, which is definitely not where I left them. And I'm sure the cupboard I found them in didn't used to exist.'

Snow looked at the cupboard to which Charming gestured, confusion etched itself onto her face as, she too, tried to remember the cupboard, but drew a blank.

Emma took a sip of her coffee, her face hidden by the large brim, her mind lost in her thoughts. She finished the cup and looked up to see her parents staring at her. She forced herself to laugh, 'Guys that's always been there. I thought you weren't meant to get baby brain until you actually have your baby, and you're sleep deprived from the thing?' She teased.

Charming dropped his look of confusion, exchanging it for a charming smile. 'In our defence… we do have our 29 year old baby.' He teased his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Snow grinned looking at her husband's face, 'And she does cause us a lot of sleepless nights from worry.' she joked, not letting Emma know that they had often sat awake worrying about her.

Emma's mouth dropped open 'I'm not your _baby_!' she exclaimed.

'Trust me darling, you are. I remember that much very clearly, after all, the enchanted forest didn't have pain killers.' Snow smirked taking a sip of her own cup of tea, deciding to take Emma's comment at face value, trying to ignore the hurt that she felt from the distancing connotations.

'I'm not – You know what I mean! I'm not like _your_ \- I'm not!' She tried to protest making a noise of frustration when she heard her dad snort. 'Whatever. Are we going the station or not?' she all but pouted at Charming.

Charming smiled and nodded once to his daughter. He bent down and kissed his wife before placing his hand between Emma's shoulder blades, ready to lead her out the door.  
'And don't worry dear- I'll explain to our daughter how babies are made.' Charming threw over his shoulder as they walked through over the threshold.

Snow heard Emma starting to rant in a disgusted tone as the duo shut the door. She couldn't help but smile, knowing Charming had said that in order to reiterate the fact that she was theirs.

* * *

Emma sat cross legged on the bathroom floor of the Charming's loft, Charming was crouched near her, attempting to fix the first of the two broken bathroom doors.  
She had gone over under the pretence that she was going to help fix the doors. She had told Henry that she and 'David thought that Mary Margret was trapped in there and broke the doors down', so she and David had been forced to fix them. Henry's face showed that he clearly didn't believe the obvious lie, but he let it slide when Emma pointed out that the 'Nolan's' had movies, whereas Granny's inn just had all his homework. Henry was worried about his mom, even though his birth dad had left her she still seemed to care about him, somehow he knew that by going to his mom's friends they'd help her. So, Henry sat watching a movie, while Snow made them all lunch. And Emma and Charming were careful that when they did talk, it was quietly so Henry wouldn't wonder even more about their strange relationship.

'Emma!' Charming called for the third time his voice concerned, Emma looked at him slightly startled. He smiled sympathetically, realising she was probably stuck reliving the death of her son's father. 'Can you pass me that screwdriver?' he indicated to the tool in her hand with a nod of his head. Emma passed it over wordlessly. He suddenly felt worried, or perhaps his worry just grew, at her lack of… well, Emma-ness. 'You know, you haven't told your mother and I about that flying monkey, you know the only you were going to marry?' he said as casually as he could, hoping to take her mind off it. He had to hide a smile at the almost embarrassed grimace that showed on her face.

'I didn't exactly know he was a monkey at the time… There's not really much to know.'

'There's enough to know that you were going to marry him…'

'I wasn't necessarily going to say yes… I just.' She trailed off, Charming feared he had pushed too far. 'What do you wanna know about him?' she asked after a slight pause.

'How'd you meet?' he smiled softly at her.

She told him about meeting him at his furniture store, about him asking her out, and where they went on their first date. 'Not exactly a fairy story' she joked.

'Well, to be fair, your mother and I met when she robbed me and I almost punched her.'

Emma laughed in return. 'Yeah, that's never not gonna be weird.'

'Did you love him?' Charming asked turning to face her.

'Walsh? No I was just, I don't know, I guess I thought I could, maybe, you know one day. He was reliable and good for Henry…until he turned into a monster.'

'Not Walsh. Neal.' Charming asked again, looking into her eyes.

Emma looked down, avoiding the blue eyes that seemed to always know what she was thinking. 'You know I'm sure this bathrooms gotten bigger.' She deflected. 'At least it's not four of us still trying to share this bathroom anymore. Oh and when Henry's distracted I'll grab some of my things out of my r- the room upstairs. Then you and Mary Margret can start to sort out the nursery up there.' She forced her voice to sound excited at the end of the sentence.

'Emma. You don't have to grab your stuff, this is still your home too, and that will always be your room. Anyway I think the baby will be sleeping in our room for a long while. See, we parents like to keep our _kids_ nearby. No matter how old they are.' He paused for a second as she continued to look down, an almost guilty look upon her face. 'You're still thinking of going, aren't you?' he sighed.

Emma gave a small nod, looking down at her hands.

Charming swallowed down his emotion, he composed himself before speaking again. 'At least stick around long enough to meet your _brother_?'

Emma gave a soft laugh at his insistence of her sibling's gender. 'You're _so_ sure that they'll be a boy aren't you.'

As Charming was about to speak Henry came to tell them that lunch was ready.

'You know I think you're right,' he said before the two went to eat, 'this bathrooms gotten a lot bigger. Although I barely got to see it before.' Emma looked at him confused. 'You see my daughter was always in it using up all the hot water.' He joked winking at Emma as he quickly left the bathroom before she could argue that she hadn't been that bad.

* * *

After the dinner at Granny's, Regina had returned to her house, and Emma and Henry had helped build the cot before returning to the inn. Charming and Snow sat cuddled up on the loft couch, Snow leaning with her back against Charming's chest and his arm around her shoulder. They both sat staring at the crib which would sleep their second child, both lost in thoughts about a very different crib, one which was never used.

'You know, Emma's speech about living reminded me of one you once told me. Your moment's one.' Snow said, she could feel her husband's smile as he pressed a kiss into her cheek. 'You gave her the speech, didn't you?' She turned her head to press a quick kiss to her true loves lip.

'I was surprised she remembered it, I told her it after I was healed from the dreamshade poison.' He paused for a moment. 'We were all really starting to make a good relationship then. She wasn't as angry as she had been when she first found out we are her parents, she had Henry, even her and Regina had started to not want to kill each other all the time.'

'What do you mean?' Snow sat up slightly so she could turn to look at him. 'She's not angry now. Once we find a way to break the curse and get our memories back, and defeat Zelena, we can get Henry's memories back. Then we'll be back to where we were. With another member of the family, and I'm sure she'll be an amazing big sister.' She said with an air of confident optimism.

Charming sighed and slumped back against the arm of the couch. His face weary and much older than his 33 years.

'What? What is it?'

He sighed again, his eyes meeting his wife's, 'She's not planning on staying, Snow.' He said quietly.

'Nonsense! She can't just go again!' She exclaimed. 'Once Henry gets his memories back he'll want to stay, Regina will want him to as well.' She paused for a second. 'She doesn't want him to get them back does she?'

'She said she wasn't sure. But I don't think so, no. She still has memories of raising Henry, in a normal world, where the most she has to worry about is money, and if he's getting on okay at school. I guess the flying monkeys, and portals, _Peter_ _Pan_! All that…. It's a lot for her to remember.'

Snow looked at him in shock. 'You think it'd be best for her to go?!'

'Of course not! I wish I could tell her she isn't allowed to and her listen to me. That I could ground her to the loft so I never have to worry about her constantly putting herself in danger!' he exclaimed. 'But she's an adult. So all we can do, is wait for her to come to her senses.'

Snow laughed gently. 'You really think even a teenage or a child Emma would listen to you grounding her?' she joked.

'You never know, she might have listened to her dad.' He laughed.

Snow stood up and kissed him. 'She still does listen to her dad. She's like a teenager so would never admit it, but she does listen to him. She'll come around.' She kissed him again 'I'm going to bed, are you coming?'

He shook his head, 'I'll be through in a little while.' Snow nodded and retired to her room.

Charming stood in the kitchen, debating whether to make a hot chocolate or a cup of tea. There was a gentle banging on the door, he walked to the door and opened it up. He assumed it wasn't the Wicked Witch, as she would have been a lot louder and probably would have been more dramatic in her approach.

Emma was crouched in front of the lock, lock-picking equipment in her hands. She stood up quickly when she realised that the door had been opened, her eyes wide.

Charming looked at her with an amused look on his face, one eyebrow raised. 'You realise you could have just knocked, or used your key.' He joked moving to the side so that she could enter.

'I didn't think you would be up, and I forgot my key at Granny's.' She blushed, moving automatically to sit on a stool in the kitchen. Charming moved to the other side of the island, automatically retrieving the ingredients for hot chocolate, and another mug. 'I forgot my phone when we were building the cot, Ruby said she'd make sure Henry was okay for me. He's flat out. He really enjoyed today.'

Charming turned to look at her from where he stood at the stove, 'I'm glad he did, I did too.' He smiled.

'So,' she said staring at him hopefully, 'If I had grown up here, would you have let me drive your truck when I was his age?'

Charming chuckled, taking the hot chocolate off the heat and moving to stand opposite her so he could pour the mugs. 'I don't know...' he said with a mock stern hesitancy, 'did you behave well enough to?'

'I…. I sometimes did.'

Charming chuckled adding a dollop of cream and cinnamon to each mug, before carrying them both into the living room. 'That's a no you didn't then?'

'I just got into a few disagreements, about rules and so on…' she said trying to hide her mischievous smile.

Charming indulged her in a conspiratorial smile, 'I'm sure I would have ended up taking you out anyway.' Emma tried to hide he smile by taking a sip of her hot chocolate, leaving her with a chocolate moustache, which she quickly wiped, but not before her father saw it. 'I wasn't the best at behaving in school. I was always pulling pranks, or messing about, or trying to wind my teacher up.' he entrusted.

Emma chuckled. 'That's what I was like, or I just used to skip classes. I mean I did okay, I got my GED before I ran away.' She added at the end, almost as if she felt the need to make her dad still feel proud in her.

Perhaps it was the fact that Emma was being surprisingly open; or the fact it was now the early hours of the morning, or the constantly need to know his daughter, or the paralysing fear that he was going to lose her regardless, that made him ask more about her childhood. Simple questions he should have already known. 'What was your favourite subject?'

'English,' she said with a reminiscent smile, 'but only when we were reading books, not the boring parts on full stops and stuff. Oh and Phys Ed. I was pretty competitive and other kids would actually pick me to be on their teams. And I was a pretty hyperactive child so it was a good outlet for it.'

'Pretty hyper?' he chuckled, a smile on his face at her openness.

'Think Henry after a sugar rush, then times it by about ten.' She deadpanned.

'So basically you after a sugar rush?' he teased, remembering the time that his family had stayed up and watched a movie marathon due to a storm, Emma somehow eating most of her previously hidden supply of candy.

'I wasn't that bad.' She muttered in protest a smile toying at her lips.

They sat as drank their hot chocolates in quite for a while long, when he glanced over, Charming saw Emma was fighting sleep. 'You got a lot on your mind, kiddo?' He asked softly. Emma started, surprised her father could tell when something was wrong, even then. 'When something was on your mind before this curse, you'd try not to sleep. Which meant you'd come down here, and you and I would end up with hot chocolates.' He explained with a soft smile and nodded towards their now empty mugs.

''We're not going to lose another baby',' Emma quoted quietly, a sad air about her tone. 'I just sometimes forget how much we lost. All of us.'

They sat staring at the crib, both lost in what could have been, and what never would.

'Don't tell your mother this, as she doesn't know.' Emma turned to look at her dad who was still staring at the crib, concern written on every inch of her face. 'I built your crib.'

'Wait! I thought it was Marco?' she asked confused.

'He was my alibi. Your mother was terrified I'd have ended up somehow having it collapse on you in the middle of the night. But I wanted to do something for you, so I asked Geppetto to teach me how to do some of the finer bits of woodwork.' He turned to look at his daughter 'I already knew some woodwork. When I was still a poor shepherd I learnt a couple of crafts in order to make us some money on the side for the farm. But don't tell your mother that I made it, or she'll still kill me' he finished with a smirk.

Emma shocked both of them by throwing herself at her father and hugging him, hiding her face in his shoulder. Charming quickly reciprocated, one hand on the back of her head, the other rubbing circles into her back.

Eventually she pulled away an embarrassed look on her face.

'Your crib took up a lot more room though.' Charming joked trying to get her more comfortable, he narrowed his eyes at the crib as if it were a suspect in an investigation.

Emma gave a small laugh 'Maybe it's the magical growing loft.'

Charming rolled his eyes jokingly 'Maybe it is.' He stood up and held his hand out. 'But now it's time for you to get back to Henry. Come on I'll drive you.'

Emma sighed torn between not really wanting to leave, and knowing she needed to be there for her son. 'It's okay I'll just walk again.'

'Emma: you're half asleep, it's the middle of the night, its cold outside. I'm driving you home.' He said firmly, giving her his 'dad' look.

Emma sighed and rolled her eyes. 'Fine.' She grumbled.

'It's times like these, that I realise, I _really_ didn't miss out on the teenage years. Did I?' He teased as he put on his own coat and shoes, before throwing Emma one of his jackets. 'It's cold outside.' He said at her questioning look

She rolled her eyes again, a smile toying at her lips as she put the jacket on.

'Your mother said I should ask you what happened in your magic lesson with Regina? Something about a bridge?' he questioned as they both walked out of the door.

* * *

Snow sat in the hospital bed gazing at her new born son, and daughter, who were both asleep. It was now late into the night and although she was tired, she couldn't bring herself to sleep. Emma had brought one of the armchairs as close to her mother and brother as possible, and she slept curled in on herself with a slight frown on her face. Henry had woken up a little while ago and had gone with Charming and Regina to get some food from the cafeteria which had been kept open for them. She sat staring until she was suddenly aware of Regina and Charming entering the room. As soon as Charming saw his family a smile lit his face, even Regina looked like she had to stop herself from smiling.

'Henry wants to come home tonight, if that's okay with you.' She said addressing Snow, not even trying to phrase it as a question.

'Of course. Oh and Regina? Thank you.'

Regina nodded, not bothering to come up with a witty remark, simply happy that they all managed to escape unscathed.

Regina was about to bid them good by when Snow's voice stopped her.

'Regina?' Snow asked, yet stared at her daughter. 'Is it possible to change a house, or loft, without realising you're doing it?'

Regina stared between the saviour and Snow for a few moments. 'It's not usual, I've certainly never heard of it.' She said pausing to consider possibilities. She saw the couple both staring at their daughter, love and concern written on their faces, much like how it was often written on her own face when she stared at her son. When she spoke again, her voice was soft, and almost comforting. 'Emma's magic is very strong, it's possible that her own subconscious is using the magic without her even having to think of it. It's possible she is wanting to create a bigger home for you all.'

Charming and Snow both nodded at their former enemy, their faces showing that they were both thinking about the reasons why Emma's subconscious would feel the need to do it.

'Charming-' Snow started after Regina had been gone for almost an hour, she didn't want to ask what she was about to, but didn't really see any other option.

'Don't worry, I'll take her home and stay with her.' He smiled as he kissed his wife gently on the forehead.

'How did you know what I was about to say?' Snow asked shocked, they shared a heart, not a brain after all.

'She already told me that she was going to stay in the waiting room 'just in case'' he smirked at the memory of his daughters excuse. 'Once I told her nothing was going to happen, and that she should go back to the loft to get a proper night's sleep, she refused. In fact, she pouted, _almost a sulk_. Eventually I realised that she didn't want to be on her own. I was going to ask if you'd be okay if I went with her.' His voice was soft, careful not to wake his daughter, at least not yet.

'Of course I'm okay with it. I guess this is what it's like to have two kids.' She chuckled, her husband joining in with the pure joy that, against all odds, had their children safe and with them. At least for the time being.

* * *

Snow placed baby Neal down in his crib and walked over to join her husband, who was sat drinking a cup of coffee and reading about his daughter's adventure back in time. Henry had gone to meet up with some of the kids he had been friends with before he had left for New York, and Emma was sleeping upstairs. After a few moments, Snow realised her husband was not, in fact, reading the words but actually staring at the image of a ball which she was sure he only partially remembered.

'Hey,' she said as she gently bumped shoulders with her husband, forcing him to tear his eyes away from the book. 'You'll get the dance eventually.' she said.  
She thought back to when they had sat in their kingdom, a lifetime ago, planning what they wanted to do with their child. Snow had, of course, known straight away that Emma would be a girl. Yet even before she let Charming in on the secret, he had told her if the baby was a girl he was looking forward to the first dance with her. And teaching her to sword fight. The latter of the two wishes had caused the very hormonal and already very protective Snow, to threaten that he'd be shot with another arrow if he did, causing him to immediately back down. She pretended not to hear him whispering to her belly one night when he thought she was asleep, that he'd still teach her to sword fight, as long as mommy never founds out.

'At least I've been able to sword fight with her.' Charming said with a wink, thinking back to the same conversation. Snow fake glared at him before turning her head to check that Neal was still in his crib. She felt a hand grasp hers.

'He's okay, Snow.' Charming reassured when she met his eyes. His wife nodded yet still looked anxious. 'Hey, she called us mom and dad.' He smiled, trying to take her mind off of the nerves they both felt.

'Yeah, she did.' She beamed back.

'GUYS!' Emma shouted from upstairs, her voice alarmed.

Within a minute Snow and Charming were up the stairs, sword and bow in hand.  
What met them was, however, not a foe. Emma's loft room which was normally straight up the stairs, now had a corridor leading onto it. As soon as this sight met the Charmings they realised what had happened.

There were two doors on the right hand side of the corridor, however they entered the one on the left, from which Emma's voice was still calling for them. They noticed another door leading off of her bedroom, but what really drew their attention was Emma sat almost paralysed with uncertainty and fear.

'I…..what's -' She questioned.

'It's your magic sweetheart.' Snow soothed, quickly explaining what Regina had said about her magic. 'I think your magic must have been making the loft big enough for us all. There's another two doors across from yours, and I'm willing to bet money that they're rooms for your son and brother.' Snow smiled.

Charming opened the new door in Emma's room, smirking when he saw an en-suite. 'Apparently your magic agrees with me, that you hog the bathroom.' He teased.

Emma giggled, but quickly stopped when something dawned on her. 'But all magic comes with a price!'

'Maybe you've already paid it.' Charming frowned. Emma looked confused. 'You didn't have a home growing up, maybe your magic is using that as a pre-paid price.' He explained.

'Maybe.' She smiled, happy to accept that as the price. Her parent's started to leave the room so she could get up and dressed. 'Hey… mom, dad?'

'Yes honey?' Her mother answered, a smile glued on her face.

'If the fridge suddenly filled with candy and good food overnight, because of my magic… what do you think the price would be?' she asked with a mischievous smile.

Charming chuckled as Snow turned a sceptical looking face on their daughter. 'Well I think your _magic_ would be sugar starved for a very _, very_ long time after that.'

Emma gulped and nodded quickly, suddenly sure that the fridge would be keeping its original contents. 


	16. Arose such a clatter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this at 4am on Christmas morning

_December 17_ _th_ _._

'I just need to get Neal something then I'm done.' Emma said, scrunching up her face as she concentrated on the toys in front of her, she bumped her shoulder against her father who was stood next to her. 'Want to tell me what Santa Claus is getting him so I don't get the same thing?'

'Emma, how am I meant to know?' Charming chuckled back. 'Your mom and I have already told you, Santa Claus is real in our realm, and I heard rumours that he was caught up in the last curse. Which stands to reason he's in Storybrooke.'

Emma rolled her eyes, even for her life of fairy tale characters, Santa Claus was a huge limit. She turned the corner of the isle, suddenly spotting the perfect present for her brother.

* * *

_December 18_ _th_

Charming threw an arm around his daughter. 'Come on Em, the quicker we pick out a tree, the quicker we get out of the cold.'

They'd been in the field in which _Game of Thorns_ had been grown Christmas trees for the twenty minutes. So far Henry had picked out multiple trees all too big for the loft, Snow had found ones which were too small and too slim, Emma had simply critiqued the trees chosen by the other two, and Charming had stayed quiet – appointing himself tree-cutter-downer instead.

'I know.' She said quietly scuffing her shoes in the newly fallen snow.

Charming waited for her to carry on talking, he knew that sometimes she needed a few moments to be able to come up with the words.

'I just want it to be perfect. It's the first Christmas we're having together.' She said, staring at her mother and son who were currently trying to convince the other on their choice of trees.  
Emma and Regina had agreed that Henry would stay with Regina on Christmas morning, but would go to the loft after having Christmas dinner. Although Emma would have loved to spend the whole day with Henry she had spent the previous year with only him in New York, so it was only natural Henry would want to spend some time with Regina. She continued to walk with him deeper into the forest of pines.

Charming smiled with pride at his daughter, who was so different from the woman he first met when he was first cursed, the one who was closed off to everyone, eventually allowing only Henry in, to the person she was now, allowing people in – if only a few she trusted. 'Our Christmas will be amazing no matter what tree we get, as long as we're together.' He assured her.

Emma opened her mouth ready to argue, when instead she gasped. 'It's perfect!' she said with barely contained excitement. Emma had somehow found a tree that was in between her mom and Henry's ideal sizes, not too thin but not so big it'd take up the whole loft.

'Henry! Mom! Look at this one!' she called over.

The Christmas tree sat perfectly in the loft. Charming, being the only one who could reach the top, albeit by standing on a chair, had managed to get lights all around it. Henry had placed multi-coloured tinsel around the tree and was now helping to hang decorations. Emma was genuinely surprised that her mom wasn't enforcing any colour scheme, hanging decorations given to her by children at the school, while she held Neal in her arms. Henry hanging some paperchain he'd made round the tree, while joking with his gramps. Emma was so enchanted by the tree she didn't notice her mother walking up to where she stood.

'You going to help us, sweetheart?'

'Yeah, I was just thinking… is it okay if I maybe hang a couple I made when I was a kid on the tree?' She asked hopefully.

'Of course you can.' Snow smiled at her, causing Emma to race upstairs to get the two decorations that she had in her memory box.

'Where'd she go?' Charming asked quietly walking over to put an arm around his wife, he placed a gentle kiss on his sons head when he got to them.

'She wanted to put a couple of decorations she made on the tree.' She replied with pride.

Emma arrived back downstairs to the sight of her parents kissing. 'Come on guys! We don't even have any mistletoe _up_!' she protested.

They broke apart, both rolling their eyes. 'That's because you banned us from putting it up, we're making up for the missed opportunities.' Charming quipped as he took his son from Snow's arms. 'Plus you should be nice to us, Santa Claus is watching y'know?'

It was now Emma's turn to roll her eyes, then she walked over to her parents. 'I… erm… where should I hang them?' she asked nervously as she held up the decorations. One was a pinecone with a lilac ribbon as a string, covered in every possible colour of glitter, made when she was three. The other was a salt dough Santa's face painted carefully by a six year old Emma, the hat covered in red glitter.

'They're beautiful Emma.' Charming said, his voice sticking in his throat.

'Let's find a place for them.' Snow said leading Emma to the tree.

'Okay Henry you can turn the light on when I tell you, but first, Emma you need to put the star on the top.' Charming said when all the decorations were on the tree. Snow placed Neal in his seat and subtly grabbed her camera.

'But I'm not tall enough…'

Charming stood in front of her, his knees slightly as he stood in the universal position of offering a piggyback.

' _Dad_.'

Charming turned back around to face her as Henry hid the smile on his face.'Emma, how else is Santa Claus meant to find us?' His face was so serious, that Emma momentarily doubted her doubt.

'Fine.' She dragged out as she rolled her eyes in defeat. As soon as she was up in the air, she gripped onto her dad as tight as she could.

'It's okay kiddo, I got you.' He whispered so only she could hear, he smiled as she loosed her grip slightly.

'Here you go mom.' Henry smiled as he passed her the light up star to go on top of the tree.

After two attempts Emma eventually managed to get it to sit on the point, Henry turned the lights on as soon as she did. Neither Henry nor Emma saw the flash of the camera as Snow took a picture of Charming giving Emma a piggyback and Henry looking in glee at the multi-coloured tree.

* * *

_December 24_ _th_

Emma walked into the loft in the afternoon to see her mother putting dishes of ingredients on the island. 'Where's dad?' she asked as she sat down at the counter attempting to figure out what her mom was about to make.

'Putting Neal down for a nap, he'll be back in a minute.'

Emma hummed in response, she frowned and scrunched her mouth from side to side as she continued to try figure whether whatever the ingredients made, would be something she'd like.

'It's cookies.' Snow said with a knowing smile, as Charming walked in a kissed the top of Emma's head gently. 'You can help if you want?'

Emma scoffed 'Yeah, right. You really want me cooking?'

'If you don't help, you can't have any.' Snow teased.

Emma narrowed her eyes playfully, 'Fine, but if I've got to help so does dad.' She smiled smugly at her dad who, although wasn't quite as bad as her, was not the best at baking.

Twenty minutes later Snow left Emma and Charming for a minute so she could grab some chocolate she had hidden in her room.

'What happened?!' She demanded, seeing her daughter, husband, and every inch of her kitchen covered in flour.

'She started it.'  
'He started it.' They chorused together.

* * *

_December 25_ _th_

Emma waited ten minutes after she heard the downstairs lights turn off before she decided it was safe to sneak downstairs. She'd decided that she was going to stay up to prove that Santa Claus wasn't real, when her parents had told her that it was a tradition to leave a pillowcase out to have present put in. The seriousness in her parents faces when they talked about it made her decide to disprove it, plus if he for whatever reason was real, then perhaps she could meet him 'As an ally' She thought to herself.

She reached the bottom of the stairs and heard a small cough in the darkened living room. She shone the torch from her phone towards the noise.

Charming's face looked back at her with disapproval. 'Aren't you meant to be going to sleep?' he asked crossing his arms with a knowing look.

'I was erm… just getting…' She stuttered.

Charming raised his eyebrows, cutting off her lies. 'Come on, up to bed.' He said ushering her upstairs, where he stayed until she fell asleep. Then he quietly went and joined his wife in setting out the presents downstairs.

Emma woke to her brother's cries, for once, however, she didn't turn back over and carry on sleeping instead she grabbed a jacket and decided to head downstairs. She was greeted by her parents looking at her with amusement, and a pillowcase full of presents.

Charming and Snow watched their children open their presents, feeling that this was as easy as life should always be.

'And this, kiddo, is from your mom and I.' Charming said handing her a present that they had hidden behind the armchair.

Emma mouth fell open, 'Wait. In all seriousness- there's really a Santa Claus?' she exclaimed.

'Of course there is honey.' Snow smiled.

Later that evening Henry set up his new Xbox, connecting it to the TV, while his family settled down around him.

'Hey mom, there's a present here for you!' he said in surprise, he passed the small wrapped parcel to his mom from when it was hiding with the wires.

'To Emma, from S.C.' Emma read.

Snow and Charming stared at each other in wide-eyed shock.


	17. Chapter 17: Breathless Part 1

Emma attempted to hold her breath as her father walked into her room.  
'Hey, have you go the cruiser keys? I'm going to swap it back for my truck.'  
She nodded in return, threw the keys to him, and hoped he would quickly leave before she had yet another coughing fit. Charming frowned at his daughter, she was never that quiet, even if she was busy doing something. 'You okay Em?' he asked as he crossed his arms, he'd tried to make the question sound casual, however when he saw his daughter start to roll her eyes, he knew in an instant he'd failed.

Emma automatically rolled her eyes and let out a sigh at her dad's concern, sure it was nice that he was concerned about her, but he was _way_ too overprotective. As soon as she let the breath out from her lips she started to choke, she doubled over, and closed her eyes as they watered. She felt the bed beside her dip as her dad sat down, then felt his hand stroking soothing circles on her back. After a few moments she sat up straight, gasping for breath, as she attempted to calm her breathing.

'Emma. Are you okay? Deep breaths.' Charming soothed, managing to hide the panic he felt, in only the way a parent could. He carried on rubbing her back, feeling her breathing become less laboured, as she subconsciously leant against him he saw how tired she looked. 'How long you been feeling ill for kiddo?' He asked softly.

''m not ill.' Emma mumbled into her father' chest as her eyes drifted shut. ''m fine.'

'Yeah, you're fine, that's why you're having coughing fits.' Charming replied rolling his eyes. 'Come on, let's go downstairs and get you some medicine.' He stood up and hoped his daughter would follow suit.

'No. I'm fine.' Emma said, sitting back against the headboard with her arms crossed, glaring slightly at her dad.

Charming raised his eyebrows and started to argue, when he was interrupted by Emma having another coughing fit, he rubbed her back again as he waited for it to subside. 'Downstairs.' He said in a no nonsense tone as he helped her up off her bed. He quickly wrapped an arm around her shoulders supporting her as she started to stumble.

'Hey you two.' Snow called as she heard her husband and daughter walk down the stairs, not turning around from where she sat at the table sorting out a lesson plan.

'Hey Snow, can you grab the thermometer for me from the bathroom?'

Snow turned around to face the two sheriffs when she heard her husband's question, panic written on her face, she quickly took in Emma's pale face, and saw how her shoulders were rising and falling as she breathed. Snow shared a concerned look with her husband, as she rushed to the bathroom in search of the thermometer.

'I don't need to, I'm not ill.' Emma's frustrated and croaky voice floated to Snow's ears.

'Emma. We have already been through this: You _are_ ill, you _are_ going to sit on the couch, you _will_ have you temperature taken, and you _will_ take medicine. This isn't a discussion. Now are you going to walk to the couch, or do I have to carry you?' Snow smiled as she heard her husband use his 'dad voice' as she finally found the thermometer from the bottom of the first aid kit.

When she walked back to join them in the living room, Charming was stood protectively next to the couch where Emma sat, his arms crossed. He raised his eyebrows raised at Emma glaring at him, Emma quickly stopped and looked away, pouting instead.

'Here you go Emma, put this in your mouth, your father and I need to find out what's wrong.' Snow put on her best parental voice, feeling proud when she saw Emma rolling her eyes, but reluctantly accept the thermometer without verbal argument.

When she heard the thermometer beep, Emma reached for it, but as soon as it was in her hand, her mother took it off her. Emma let out a sigh, she quickly sucked air back in through her teeth as she winced, feeling a sharp stabbing pain in her chest as she did so. She was so focused on trying to keep her breathing slow and steady, that she didn't notice her mom showing her dad the thermometer- leaving Emma out of the 'temperature knowing' business altogether.

Charming looked over at his daughter with concern, he had seen Emma with colds before, so knew that she wasn't usually as quiet as she was. He started to share a silent conversation with his wife, he hoped that he was simply overreacting, then Emma starting to cough again, chesty coughs that made Charming's throat hurt in sympathy just by hearing them. His paternal instincts kicked in, he sat down next to his daughter, whispering comforting words, as he yet again rubbed her back. As the coughing settled, Snow came over from the kitchen with a glass of juice, and handed it to her daughter.

'Here you go baby, take little sips.' She soothed as she stroked Emma's cheek with the back of her palm, automatically feeling her temperature radiate off of her. She watched as her daughter, for once, did as she was told and took the half-drunk glass when she was finished. She was about to ask her husband to go on a medicine run, when she saw Emma lean against Charming.

Charming automatically put his arm around her, then manoeuvred them both so they were no longer sat on the edge. Emma moved her legs onto the chair and curled half into herself, her eyes fluttered shut as she snuggled as close as possible to her dad. She no longer tried to hide how ill she was feeling as she started to breathe faster, her lungs feeling tight, as though they were tied up with string.

Snow smiled gently at her husband, 'I'm going to go get some medicine for her, it appears we've run out, you okay with me leaving Neal with you as well? He shouldn't wake up for another hou-'

'Of course that's fine. I'll look after them.' Charming interrupted in a lowered voice. He could see how worked up his wife was getting, Emma normally took a lot more convincing that she was ill, even with a cold or the flu, before she'd give in. 'I would offer to go but… well she's a bit clingy when she's ill apparently.' Charming laughed softly. He watched as Snow smile in understanding, it was rare they got to see this side of Emma. 'I'm worried.' He admitted. 'She seems to be having some trouble breathing.

Snow frowned, 'We'll have to keep a close eye on her, and if it gets really bad we should take her to the hospital.' She smiled slightly at her true love. 'I'm sure she'd going to just get cuddlier, you know. Before the first curse broke she was pretty ill one time, but of course she refused to admit it. Even then I was worried about her, maybe it was the mother in me. I had to trick her into going to the doctor's office by pretending we were going out to get some junk food and a movie.' Charming gave a slight chuckle at that, Emma moved closer to him, subconsciously seeking comfort. 'She only went in to get checked out when I threatened that I'd drag her in and stay there so I could force her to do as she was told. When she came out she seemed to have accepted that she was ill, but she conned me into actually getting junk food and movies. Her walls were so high then, but as soon as she got ill, she became a koala.' Snow reminisced. She shook her head at the memory of how damaged Emma had seemed when she had first found Snow. 'Anyway, I'll be back soon, I have my phone on me – call if you need anything.'

Forty five minutes later, Snow was climbing up the stairs, arms laden with bags full of medicines, vapour rub, energy drinks, and other things to try and make her baby feel better. As she got closer to the top of the stairs, she heard her phone ring. She rushed up the last few steps and opened the door to the loft.

'Snow.' Charming breathed out in relief. He was stood with his jacket and coat on, and a very worried look on his face. Emma was sat with her eyes closed on the couch still. Now, however, she was wearing a loose jacket and a pair of shoes, despite her eyes being closed she seemed to awake, her breathing was shallow and fast. 'Thank god you're here. Emma's breathing's got a lot worse. She needs to go to the hospital.'

Snow dropped the bags onto the table and rushed over to her eldest child. She kissed the top of her daughter's head as her son gave a cry from his crib, protesting at the lack of attention he was receiving. 'Okay, you take her, I'll have to stay here with Neal.' Charming nodded at her understandingly, he moved to Emma and helped her stand up, as soon as she was stood her legs shook and she collapsed. Charming managed to catch her before she hit the floor, swooping her up into his arms instead of placing her on her own two feet again. 'Charming, look after her, and keep me up to date. I'll sort Neal out and sort a sitter out for him so then if you need me at the hospital I can be there.' She deeply hoped that it would be a quick E.R visit, but judging from the blue that was tinging Emma's lips, she doubted it.

Emma felt her father carrying her into the loud hospital, yet could not bring herself to be embarrassed, she focused instead on her breathing trying to remember what it felt like to not have to think. Time seemed to pass differently as she fought sleep, she barely remembered being in the police cruiser with the flashing lights on. One second she was being placed down on a bed, the next she had one nurse taking her temperature, another her blood pressure. She felt one clip the familiar pulse oximeter being clipped onto her finger. She saw her dad staring with concern and fear, stood slightly to the side so he wouldn't be in the nurses' ways, and found a sudden burst of energy to fight to get to her dad. She knew it was childish but she wanted him close, knowing she was safe with him there. Her eyes blinked close and when she opened them her dad was stood next to her, explaining to her what each of the nurses were doing, a nurse spoke to him about something Emma couldn't quite hear. She felt a small plastic Dixie-cup be pressed against her lips and the next thing she knew she threw up. Her eyes closed again opening when she felt a nurse place an oxygen mask on her face and her dad stroke her hair. She turned her head to the side, making out the numbers on the machine telling the doctors her oxygen and heart levels. She stared at the number sixty six which should have been the number one hundred, as the world faded into darkness.


	18. Chapter 18: Breathless Part 2

Emma felt claustrophobic before she even opened her eyes. Something was choking her, she blindly tried to push it away. Her arm was numb as though she'd been sleeping on it for days, she could barely move it, but was spurred on by the fear of not knowing where she was. She started to panic even more when she heard the erratic beeping of machines. _Shit! Had she been kidnapped?!_ She started to try sit up as she pushed whatever was on her mouth off of it. Suddenly strong hands held onto her shoulders, she forced open her eyes at the contact.

She realised she was in a room in the hospital, she had random tubes and wires attached to her, but she wasn't awake enough to care about them. Her eyes settled on her dad, as she tried to remember what had happened between falling asleep in the triage bay, and waking up tucked into the hospital bed.

"Hey kiddo." Charming breathed out with a smile, he seemed to be relieved about something, but Emma didn't know what. "Em, you need to calm down, okay? Your mom will be here in a minute, but you need to breathe, okay?" He attempted to pull the oxygen mask back up to Emma's mouth, Emma pulled back, panicking, she turned her head to make it harder to be put on. Before Charming could make another attempt to get the mask onto his slightly delirious daughter, his wife came back in the door with a nurse close behind her.

"Hey sweetheart, you're awake." Snow said with the same look that Charming had just a few moments before. "How is she?" She directed to her husband.

"She woke up a bit distressed, I think the mask is still bothering her, I tried to put it back on her, but she wouldn't let me." He told his wife and the nurse at the same time, sounding slightly helpless towards the end.

"I can tell them myself." Emma whined, half asleep, she felt herself start to get breathless as she spoke, but decided it was worth it. Her parents shot her disproving, and slightly disappointed, looks in response. She sank back against the upright bed, okay maybe it wasn't worth it, her parents were obviously angry at her about something.

"It's okay, we can do it so she has a nasal cannula for a while as her oxygen levels are a bit better. I'll do her vitals too while I'm here." The nurse smiled at Snow and Charming, Emma just rolled her eyes, not bothering to say anything about being left out, again.

Emma barely restrained herself from making any sarcastic comments as the nurse poked and prodded her, writing it down on Emma's chart, she relaxed slightly when the nurse left.

"That better baby?" Snow smiled down at her from her bedside. Emma nodded in response, she felt as though she had run a marathon. Snow ran her hand through Emma's hair. 'You can go back to sleep, dad and I will be here when you wake up.' She soothed.

Emma felt her dad squeezed her hand gently from the other side of her bed, as she drifted back off to sleep.

Emma blinked open her eyes as she heard a door shut. She looked to her left side to see her arm in bandage a tube leading down into it, she saw her mom through the window in the corridor talking on a phone. Emma felt guilty as she saw the way her mom's shoulders hung tiredly.

"You joining us in the land of the living Em?"

Emma turned her head to the right to see her father sat next to her. His hair was tussled as though he'd been running his hand through it, his eyes were kind and tired, his smile gentle yet cautious.

"Yeah." She forced out, her throat felt as though it was being sandpapered. Her dad stood up, grabbing a glass of juice that was just slightly out of Emma's reach. The sheriff in her noticed how her dad's movements were sluggish, he'd obviously been there for a while, awake and watching her, waiting for her to wake up. A massive surge of guilt engulfed her: She was an adult, they had an actual baby they needed to get back to, and she couldn't be so selfish to keep them at the hospital with her. No matter how much she wanted to. She accepted and drank the drink, hoping her mom would walk in the room soon, so that she could convince them both to go home.

As though she had a fairy godmother reading her thoughts, which in Storybrooke wouldn't be that usual, her mom walked in as she was finishing her juice.

Snows face lit up when she saw Emma awake and drinking in her hospital bed. "Hey Emma," She beamed, "how are you feeling?"

Emma gave a small smile towards her before looking down at her sheets.

Unbeknown to Emma, Charming and Snow exchanged a look above Emma's head, they knew their daughter well enough by now to know that she was up to something.

Emma looked back up, a surprisingly convincing fake smile plastered onto her face. "I'm feeling a lot better now. So you two can go home. I'll discharge myself. I'll meet you back home." Emma spoke in short sentences to try and disguise the breathlessness in her speech. She smiled proudly having reach the end of her sentence, there was no way her parents could argue with that logic.

"Absolutely not."

"No chance in hell."

Emma looked back and forth between her parents with her mouth agape, both of them had a no-nonsense look upon their face.

"Bu-" she stuttered.

"No, Emma." Her dad's voice was sterner than Emma had ever heard it. She sank further down in her bed. "You're nowhere near better. This is the first time in 24 hours that you've woken up properly, and for longer than five minutes. You can barely get to the end of your sentences without running out of breath. You're saying here until they say you're better, not until you find a nurse or doctor you can convince that you're fine."

Emma looked down as she was reprimanded, her dad usually tried to convince her of his stand point, so when he basically commanded her she felt as though she were a little kid.

"And we're both staying with you tonight. No objections." Her mom added firmly, Emma furrowed her eyebrows slightly, unused to people wanting to stay with her when she was in hospital. "Belle's looking after Neal; if you're in for longer, which Emma you _might_ be, your father and I will take turns staying with you. We won't make you stay alone, you're our child too, we wouldn't leave Neal here alone and we won't be leaving you." Snow and Charming shared a loving smile.

Emma felt like crying, the only person who had ever stayed with her in hospital was a prison guard when she had Henry, most social workers had visited her when she was in hospital but only for an hour or so. Any foster parents never felt she was worth the hassle of keeping as she got ill so often, and certainly never stayed with her.

"I'm fine", she muttered in empty protest, trying to keep up her 'I don't need anyone' facade.

"No you're not fine Emma." Her mom insisted, she knew Emma was just arguing for the sake of it, but needed her to see how much danger she had been in. "And when, _exactly_ , were you planning on telling us that you have asthma?" Snow started. She knew her husband would want to take this lecture, she had never seen him so scared than he had when she got to the E.R, following his rushed phone call. He was always the Prince who was ready to physically engage, always wanting to do something to help: a man of action. But he could just watch as his only daughter, one of his three true loves, passed out. He stood in the corner of the room, not allowed too close, as doctors rushed around in talking in anxious tones, saying words he barely understood. And he could do nothing to help.

Emma looked up like a rabbit caught in headlights. _Crap_. She hadn't thought that her parents would find out about that. "Err…"

"You lived with your mother a year before the curse broke, you could have told her then, but you didn't. You've been living with us both and working with me since it broke, you've never mentioned it. You could have had an attack when we were chasing a perp, or while you were in the enchanted forest, or Neverland, what you have done then? Because I know for certain, that you don't carry inhalers. We're disappointed in you Emma." Charming paused his lecture making sure it had sunk in, one he saw Emma's face, he knew that she realised how foolish she'd been. 'Asthma is a serious condition, you hid your cough from us, which turned out to be a chest infection which exasperated your asthma. Your oxygen level was so low when I brought you in… We can't lose you princess." he finished softly, he stood up and pressed a kiss into her head, he was surprised that Emma latched onto him as soon as he bent down, pressing her head into his chest. He say on the edge of the bed still holding onto her, he rubbed her back and rocked her slightly back and forth, as he normally did his younger child. Eventually, Charming gently laid his daughter against the upright back of the hospital bed, thinking she had fallen asleep.

As he did Emma eyes fluttered open. She looked up sleepily at her mom. "It's okay baby, I'm just going to put this mask on you, it'll help you breathe better during the night. You can go to sleep, we'll be right here, mom and dad are right here." She soothed, slipping the oxygen mask onto her daughter, the doctors and nurses had explained that many found their breathing worse at night. She sat down in a chair next to her daughter's bed and her husband mirrored her on the other side, they both took one of their daughter's hands, and watched as she allowed herself to sleep.

* _Day 2*  
_

Emma sat glaring at her sheets, she had been in a bad mood since she woke up to Whale and a bunch of other doctors coming into her room to review her, she missed her comfy bed, and the hospital food left her craving her dad's pancakes. And she was tired of having to have oxygen feed up her nostrils.

"Emma, you can't sit there sulking all day." Charming sighed. "I know you're disappointed that you won't be home for a few days, but these things happen, sorry kiddo."

"But it's _three whole days_." Emma stressed.

"I know." He replied softly, he sat down on the edge of the bed and brushed some hair out of pale face. "But your mom will be back in a bit with some stuff for you, while I pop home and into work, then I'll come hang out with you tonight, okay?"

"At least you get to go to work." Emma huffed, it was killing her having to stay in bed. She had tried to venture, down the corridor to the cafeteria while her dad was in the bathroom and her mum getting Charming and herself some coffee from the visitors lounge. She had detached herself from machines and made it just outside the door to her room, when she half collapsed because of a coughing fit and a nurse had to help her back to her room. Her mom and dad weren't best pleased with her, and had told her she was not allowed to leave her bed, under any circumstances.

"I can bring you back some paperwork if you want to do some work." He smirked.

"Ew, no." She grimaced.

"Mom, could you maybe ask Whale if I can go home earlier, please." Emma whined.

"Emma for the fifth time, asking him isn't going to work, you will be sent home when you are _better_. You still have steroids being pumped into your system, you've had an oxygen mask on you since you got here. You _will_ stay here." Replied Snow sternly, not bothering to look up from her book.  
Emma had constantly been trying to convince Whale to let her go, when it became clear that Whale wasn't going to be convinced by her, Emma tried to get her mom to convince him. While Snow understood Emma's frustration at being ill and being kept in the same place, the constant asking was starting to annoy Snow.

Emma bit her lip, she saw that her mom was starting to lose her patients, so decided to wait and try convince her dad. "Will you watch a movie with me?" she asked somewhat timidly. She earned a loving smile from her mother in return and was passed the remote to the above bed television. She eventually found a Jurassic Park marathon on a movie channel, and started to give a sarcastic commentary. Snow had to smile at how Emma still gave a commentary, despite it being given a little breathlessly and interrupted by small coughing fits.

"See Neal, here's mommy and Emmy." Charming said as he walked through the door to Emma's room ready to switch over with Snow. Charming had started calling Emma that partially as Neal was starting to learn how to talk and could only say it, but mostly as he enjoyed to wind Emma up.

"Emmy's asleep right now. Hello baby, were you a good boy for daddy?" Snow smiled as she walked other to her boys, Neal stretched his arms towards his mother.

"Mama!" he said gleefully as he gave Snow a kiss.

Charming smiled at his adorable son, he watched him babble with Snow, after a minute he walked other to Emma's bed and gently kissed her on the forehead. He picked up her chart from her bedside table, he sighed as he read the nurses' inscriptions, although she was improving slightly, it was a slow improvement. He pinched his nose with his finger and thumb.

"She'll be okay Charming." Snow said softly. "She'll get out of here soon, and then once she is we'll look after her, and then once she's better we'll make sure she manages her asthma." She walked up to him and kissed her husband.

Emma woke up a few hours later to see her dad sat by her side, he had a book lying open by his side as he sat texting on his phone.

"Are you reading Harry Potter?" she smirked.

"Hey sleeping beauty." Charming teased. "Yeah it is, your mom left it, she said that you wanted to read it?"

Emma nodded with a sad smile.

"She said to say goodnight to you, she left about an hour ago, and you were asleep so we didn't want to wake you up." He said as though reading her mind. "Neal was here as well, he wasn't too happy that Emmy wasn't awake to play with him." He teased.

Emma faked a glare at her dad as she took as sip from a cup that was on her side table. "Could you, maybe read, a little to me?" she coughed slightly when she got to the end of her breathless sentence.

Charming smiled at her, "Of course I will, but first let's get a mask on you instead of the nose thing, I can hear your breathing getting worse." Emma for once obeyed without an argument or even an eye roll. He sat back down and started to read.

*Day 2*

"You ready for operation Goldilocks?" Henry grinned. He had just convinced Snow and Charming to leave he and Emma for a little while, saying they should go and eat something in the canteen, while they had a bit of valuable time together.

"Okay…. I guess…" Emma said suspiciously, he told her he had something planned from the minute he had walked in.

Henry pulled a brown paper bag out of his backpack, as soon as he pulled it out the smell of Granny's grilled cheese hit her. "I know you're addicted to them, and I heard Grams talking about making sure you stay healthy, so I figured it was best to hide it."

"Oh my god, thank goodness. The food here is basically inedible. This is why you're my favourite."

Henry smiled whole heartedly and pulled out another one for himself, he loved spending these moments with his mom, where there was no trouble in the town. He started to talk to her about what was going on in school and about his supply teacher who wasn't nearly as good as his grams.

"Hey kid," Emma started casually as he took her rubbish off of her to throw away. "You know what else would be a good operation? You could help me figure out a way out of here. It'll be really easy! I just need a way to sneak out-"

Henry looked up to see his grandparents and his uncle entering the room, his face scrunched up as his mom clearly didn't notice them as she carried on talking.

"-And then when I'm back home they wouldn't go through all the hassle of getting me back here-"

"Oh, you think so?" Snow asked in a harsh voice.

Emma flinched and slowly turned her head towards the door, her cheeks reddened when she saw her parent's stern looks.

"Emma, you are _not_ going to try get out of here. And even if you did, you'd be in a lot of trouble, and you'd be brought straight back here. So stop asking. _Understood_?" Charming's tone was impatient, he'd spent the day with Emma trying to convince him, or when she thought he wasn't listening the nurses, to get her out of there. "Emma. Do you understand?" he said a minute later when she hadn't responded.

Emma slid down in her bed in the embarrassment of getting told off like she was a little kid, in front of her kid. "I understand" she muttered. She may have understood, but that didn't mean she agreed.

"Here you go Neal," Charming cooed putting his son on the bed next to his daughter, "you say goodbye to Emmy, she and mommy are staying here again."

"Why?" he asked as he hugged his big sister.

"Because Emmy's poorly and mommy's staying here to look after her."

Neal looked carefully at his father for a minutes, as if the two year old was trying to gage if he were telling the truth, the same way in which his sister often did. "Okay."

Emma hugged her brother and son goodbye, then Charming went over to her as the boys went to say bye to Snow.

"I'll see you tomorrow kiddo, hopefully that'll be your last night." He said quietly.

"Hopefully, I hate hospitals." She replied with a sad pout.

"I know, but you're still a bit too sick to be at home, as soon as you're well enough you'll be home, I promise."

Emma gave a nod, it was no secret to her parents her hatred of hospitals, and the fear of them that arose from her childhood spent in them.

"While I'm gone-"

"Be good for my mother?"

" _Yes_." He teased. "Sweet dreams, sweetheart, I love you." With that he gave her a kiss on her head.

*Day three*

"I can't believe they got me a babysitter." Emma sulked.

"To be fair, your mom did find you on your laptop, trying to find blueprints to the hospital. Is it really any wonder she didn't want you to be alone while she and your dad swapped over."

"I'm thirty!"

"You're still their kid."

"You know Ruby, sorry, Red… you're close to Franken-doc, maybe you could put a good word in for me to gets him to let me go when my dad get here? I'm much better I don't even need the oxygen mask anymore!"

"Oh no you don't! You are not getting me in trouble!"

"You wouldn't get in any trouble! Only I would." Emma protested.

Red started to laugh, only to be glared at by Emma. "Emma, when your mom was pregnant with you, you wouldn't stop kicking her. So she'd often end up waking me up just so she'd have someone to talk to, one night you were kicking her a lot so I told you to stop it. You decided, apparently, to kick more. I, however, was the one who got an hour long lecture from your mother."

"Oh my god." Emma said, covering her face to try her embarrassment.

"What's going on?" She heard her dad ask.

"Emma kicked Snow." Red replied simply, Emma grimaced behind her hands, knowing what would come next.

"You did _what_!?" Charming exclaimed.

"Oh god," Emma thought, "this is gonna be a long night."


	19. Chapter 19: Breathless Part 3

Emma was dressed and ready to go before her breakfast had even arrived. "I don't need that. I'm going home." She told the nurse, who was delivering the tray, matter-of-factly.

"She will have it, thank you." Charming corrected as he shot a charming smile at the nurse, who giggled slightly as she left.

Emma stared at the door in disgust, seeing the nurse giggle at her dad had made her want to throw up. "Why can't they just let me go already?" She complained.

"Because, Doctor Whale has to make sure you're definitely okay to go, and then you need to get that I.V out of your arm. So, as Whale isn't starting his rounds for another couple of hours, why don't you eat your breakfast, Snow will be here soon, maybe she'll be able to distract you."

"I'm not a child, I don't need my mom to distract me." Emma grumbled.

"You could have fooled me." Charming muttered, however he was not quite quiet enough for his daughter not to hear, so received a glare, which would have no one doubting Emma's parentage. He pushed the end table up to Emma, hoping to distract her both from her glaring, and her eagerness to leave. He had also noticed she had been eating less while she was in hospital, though he wasn't sure if that was due to her dislike of the hospital food, or her chest infection lessening her appetite, but whichever it was it probably wasn't helping her recovery. "Here you go, Em, you have: cereal, toast, and some juice." He said as he smiled at her.

"No."

"No?" he sighed.

"No. I'm not eating it."

"Yes, you are." He replied in a warning tone.

"I'm not going to eat it. I don't need to if I'm going home." She scowled stubbornly.

"You will be eating it, young lady, or you won't be going home." Charming put on his 'dad voice', as he knew Emma usually did as she was told when he used it. His mouth hung open in shock when Emma turned her head to glare at a wall.

Emma felt her blood boiling, it was bad enough she had to go to the hospital at all, let alone to have been stuck in there for about four days. She hated being in there, being stuck in one room all the time, the constant checks by nurses, Whale's patronising questions, the horrible food, not being able to breathe properly. But most of all she hated how she was taking most of it out on her parents, she didn't mean to, and she'd tried to stop it, but somehow it kept happening anyway. She was internally holding her breath, as she waited for her parents to decide that it was too much. That she was too much. For them to give up on her. Emma glared at the wall in an attempt to contain her emotions, she kept her eyes still in fear of tears falling from her eyes, and she was so caught up in this, that she didn't even notice her father staring at her. She didn't even notice her mother walking into the room.

Snow frowned when Emma ignored her bidding her a good morning. She moved to the side of the room, her husband moving with her from where he stood, with his arms crossed next to his daughter's bed. Snow looked into the worried eyes of her husband. "What happened?" she asked quietly.

"I'm not sure, she was just refusing to eat her breakfast, and then… this." He gestured to his daughter. "This is about more than breakfast though, she's been like this on and off since she got here."  
Snow nodded, "We need to get to the bottom of this." A determined look crossed her face, and she walked back over to Emma.

Snow tapped Emma on the shoulder, Emma jumped at the unexpected contact. "Have you finished sulking?"

"I'm not sulking." Came Emma's muttered response, she still avoided the gaze of her parents by looking at her sheets.

"Yes you are. Let me and your father know when you've finished and we'll talk to you." Snow moved back to her husband, stopping when she heard Emma scoff.

"I'm not a child." The blonde muttered angrily.

"I'm well aware that you're not. However, you are acting like one. So when you stop acting like one, your father and I will stop treating you like one."

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LEAVE ME ALONE ALREADY?!" Emma exploded, coughing slightly as she did. "You're going to anyway, I get it, just…" Emma trailed off, not having meant to say her thoughts out loud. She returned to staring at her bed sheet, attempting to calm her on coming panic attack, and hide the panic on her face.

"Emma. Look at us please." Charming commanded softly, after a couple of minutes Emma turned her head towards her parents, but kept her eyes down avoiding their faces. She felt her dads fingers push up her chin. "We're not leaving you Emma. No matter what." His blue eyes meet her green ones, willing her to believe him.  
She felt her mom's hand stroke her hair. "Sweetheart, your dad's right, we aren't going away, and we're never leaving you. We know being in hospital brings back memories, and we're sorry you had to go through that, but that's never going to happen again."

Emma gave a small nod to show she understood them. Her parents brought her into a hug when tears threatened to drown her eyes.

"She was exhausted." Snow sighed as Charming brought her into an embrace. Emma had fallen asleep in her parent's arms after her little breakdown,

"She didn't sleep too well night, I doubt that helped. We'll get her through this Snow." He pressed a kiss to his wife's head.

"We will." She confirmed. "We're getting there with her, it's just slow work, but we'll get there." Although her words were optimistic, her tone was tinged with sadness.

The couple stared at their daughter, as they thought how life wasn't meant to be like that, their daughter shouldn't have gone through what she had to.

"She looks so young when she's asleep, we don't often get to see her so… unguarded." Charming smiled. "Well, except when she loses at games. Or when she does rock, paper, scissors with Henry, to get the toy from cereal boxes." He laughed softly, so not to wake his daughter.

Snow joined in with the quiet laughter. "I guess it makes sense. She was never fully a child, so she never fully turned into an adult."

"No matter her age, or how old she acts like, we'll be here to love her. I think deep down she knows that."

Emma sat smiling on the bed, finally detached from the I.V and the machines monitoring her. "So I can definitely go?"

"Yes Miss Swan, you can. I'll give you a prescription for antibiotics for your chest infection, and some steroid tablets to reduce the swelling in your lungs, you need to finish both, even if you start to feel better before the two weeks are up. Your mother also mentioned that you haven't got any inhalers, so there's also a prescription for three inhalers, it's important you take them every day."

"But… I can go home?"

Snow and Charming struggled to contain their laughter at Emma's excitement to return home.

"Yes, Emma, you can go. I'll get a nurse to bring your discharge papers, and I'll see you in two weeks to see how you're doing." The doctor passed a prescription to Snow, as both she and Charming thanked him.

"You ready to go kiddo?" Charming smiled at Emma while Snow sorted the discharge papers for her.

Emma beamed at him and pushed herself off the bed. "Hell yes!"

Charming chuckled at her enthusiasm, and held out his arm for her to loop hers through.

"Mom's taking forever." Emma complained to her father from the backseat of the station wagon.

Charming rolled his eyes, he didn't bother to turn round from the driver's seat to look at her. "She's not taking that long, Em, have a bit of patience. Look, she's coming now." As soon as he finished his sentence, Snow opened the car door and climbed inside, and placed an almost overflowing bag at her feet.

"Erm… mom? What's in the bag?" Emma furrowed her eyebrows.

"Most of it's your medicines, I also got some other bits to make it easier for you to breath." She dismissed. "Shall we grab lunch?" Snow asked Charming quietly in the front of car, hoping that Emma wouldn't hear.

"Yes!" Emma hollered from the back.

"I think she was asking me, Emmy." Charming teased as he started to drive.

Emma faked a scowled at him, despite him not being able to see her. "Please daddy." She dragged out, knowing her father would give in.

"I guess it couldn't hurt." He said as he continued to drive to Granny's.

"Good. I'm dying for a grilled cheese and a soda."

"No soda." Snow called.

"Why no soda?"

"It's bad for your asthma."

"What? How do you kn-. What makes you think that?" Emma stumbled, hoping to convince her mother otherwise.

Snow turned slightly so she could see her daughter. "I read it on the internet last night, and then I confirmed it with Doctor Whale."

"You could have just asked me."

"Well, as you didn't tell us you even had asthma, I wasn't sure I could trust you on this one: I did my own research." She gave Emma a pointed look, before she turned back around, signifying the end of the conversation.

Emma yawned as she followed her mother through the door into the loft.

"Charming, can you get Em settled on the couch? I think I'll go get Neal from Belle's early."

"Can't I take a shower first? Please, I smell like hospitals." Emma interjected before Charming had a chance to answer.

Charming and Snow shared a look. "I don't see why not, but after that you're staying on the couch kiddo." Charming replied diplomatically.

"Thanks guys." She smiled. "For everything, and just being there, you know?"

"No problem darling."

"We wouldn't be anywhere else."

Emma turned and started towards the stairs. She stopped, as if she hit a force field of some kind, and turned around. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I'm used to dealing with, or ignoring, being ill, and my asthma on my own."

"You don't have to deal with it all by yourself anymore. And you definitely won't be ignoring it, we'll be making sure of that." Snow promised her daughter.

Emma nodded, then fled upstairs, before it got too emotional.

It wasn't until later that night that both Snow and Charming breathed a sigh of relief, although Emma wasn't near well yet, they were relieved she was no longer in the hospital hooked up to medicine and oxygen. Both of their children had fallen asleep watching a movie which Neal had been engaged enough in to watch, yet wasn't so terrible that Emma would refuse to watch. Neal sat on his mother's lap, his hand playing with her hair in his sleep. Emma was curled with her head on her father's chest, as she used him as a human teddy bear, much to Snow's amusement. Snow turned her head to see her husband staring at her, with all the love he had when he first stared at her trying on her would-be engagement ring.

"What are you thinking?" She asked quietly.

"How lucky we are to have the kids. How lucky I am to have you."

"You really do live up to your name." She teased lovingly. "I don't know about you, but I think we should put our children to bed, then go ourselves: It's been a long week."

Charming woke up in the night to hear his wife talking to Emma through the monitor on the bedside table, he had placed the spare one in Emma's room, hidden from her sight, so that he and Snow would know if she needed them during the night. He heard his wife help to soothe his daughter's breathing, and settled back down to sleep, he knew she was in safe hands.


	20. Chapter 20: Parents always know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A while ago Ann put in the prompt 'where Snow/Charming ask Emma if she wants to read a bedtime story to Neal and she gets either defensive or evasive, and then when she starts trying to read the story Snowing find out that she's dyslexic?', so here's my take on that. Obviously there are a lot more symptoms with dsylexia which aren't mentioned in this, and I'm sorry for any inaccuracies.

"Emma, can you set the table please?" Snow called from the kitchen where she was preparing dinner and marking some of her student's exercise books.

"Can't dad do it? He's closer!" she called back from where she sat colouring with her younger brother.

"I'm doing paperwork Em." Charming replied quietly.

Emma sighed, as she left her brother to go set the table, "I thought you had finished your paperwork?" Emma said confused as she started to lay the placemats.

"Erm, yeah. I realised I had a few more." He replied flippantly, he frowned as he watched his daughter lay the cutlery haphazardly, the knives and forks changing side for each person, then she went back to join Neal.

"I could have sworn you said you were done with your work when you called earlier." Snow asked in a quiet voice as she laid the salad bowl on the table.

"I did." He sighed. "This is Emma's, I was filing it but I noticed it had a lot of errors. I don't want her to know, we've both seen how stressed she gets when her paperwork's not perfect."

Indeed they had, both Snow and Charming had pointed out a couple of misspellings and grammatical errors on separate occasions, both times resulting in Emma panicking to the point of her having panic attacks. She had claimed she'd only panicked so much as a fault in paperwork could endanger people's lives. However, as the cases in question were about a missing dog, which had turned out to not even be missing, and someone stealing a bouquet of flowers from Moe French's shop, her parents were suspicious of that being the truth.

"Okay Neal, who's reading you a bedtime story, mommy or daddy?" Charming asked his two year old, he desperately hoped he'd choose Snow, so he could finish trying to decipher Emma's paperwork.

"Do you want daddy to do the funny voices?" Encouraged Snow, as she also wanted to carry on with her marking.

"Want Emmy."

"You want Emma to read to you?" Charming asked loud enough for Emma to hear.

"Yep, space book." The youngest Charming confirmed.

"Em!" Charming called to his oblivious daughter, who was sat focused on a game on Henry's Gameboy.

"Huh?"

"Neal wants Emmy to read his bedtime story, don't you buddy?" Neal nodded in confirmation, then look from his father to his sister with a hopeful look.

"Oh buddy, I wish I could but, I actually have to go do something now."

"Please Emmy." Neal begged, his face turned from hopeful to puppy dog eyes in seconds.

"Come on Emma, you're just playing on a game, it'll take ten minutes. Your father and I have actual work to do." Snow said as she rolled her eyes. She then passed Neal the book he wanted, a small smile on her face. "Here you go Neal, Emma will read to you on the couch."

Emma glared at the open book as her brother sat patiently on her lap and waited for her to start. Emma's heart clambered in her chest, she gulped as she attempted to chase the floating letters around the page. The font that was meant to be 'fun and thematic' for the children, was confusing and difficult for her. She felt herself panicking more, concerned her parents would be listening to her: she grew scared to start, paranoid of making any mistakes.

"Hey buddy, how about we make up our own stories to go with the pictures instead?" Emma tried to sound excited so her brother would go along with her plan.

"No Emmy read the story."

"Emma?" Snow's voice was gentle as she stood with a caring look on her face.

"I-I…" Emma stuttered, she didn't want to give away what she saw to be her biggest secret.

Charming walked over to join his family, shared a look with his wife which Emma couldn't understand. "Hey Neal, do you want daddy to read you some of Uncle Henry's special book?" He grinned at his son, who looked between his sister and dad, then decided not to pass up being able to be like his favourite family memeber. Charming smiled gently at Emma, who was avoiding eye contact, then carried Neal upstairs to bed.

"Emma?" Snow moved to sit down next to Emma. "Sweetheart, you're dyslexic, aren't you?" She asked bluntly, knowing that it was the best way to ask Emma.

Emma's head shot up, her eyes were wide in shock.

"Don't worry." Snow soothed. "You're good at hiding it, but your father and I have noticed things, we are your parents after all. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"The words float when I try to read them. The harder I try the worse it gets." Emma replied in a small voice.

Snow engulfed her in a hug, where they sat for a few minutes.

"I didn't want you guys to know, or anyone else, I didn't want you to think I'm stupid." Emma muttered into her mother's shoulder.

Before Snow could respond Charming spoke, having heard the conversation as he returned down the stairs, and having had conversations previously with Snow and their suspicions. "Emma we'd never think you're stupid. Nor are you stupid. I'm sorry you felt like you couldn't tell us, but I promise you we'd never think any less of you for this, it just means we'll change how we do some things here, and at the station, to make your life easier."

Emma leant back, staring into the loving eyes of her parents. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, I know you'd never judge me, it's just a few bad experiences in the past with it… I guess I was just too scared."

They waited a minutes before it became clear that that was as much as Emma was going to elaborate.

"Do you use a colour laminate when you read?" Snow asked.

Emma looked at her mother in surprise.

"Em, I'm a teacher, remember?" she smiled in response.

"I definitely don't know as much about dyslexia as your mother, but if you let me know ways I can help, I'll do them." Charming smiled at his daughter, wondering how a piece of laminate paper could help but he decided he'd ask his wife about it later.

Emma started to explain different things that would help her, she couldn't, however, stop her mind from thinking how even five years previous she would have thought it laughable that she'd have such understanding parents who'd want to accommodate her needs. It was a far cry from the passive foster parents who didn't care enough to even ask her about her dyslexia, and the dismissive teachers who claimed she was either just lazy, or that she'd grow out of it. Emma smiled as her parents hung on to her every word, making suggestions of things that could help that she had never even thought of before.


	21. Chapter 21: And they all lived happily ever after

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt:  
> Emma went into the portal alone in 3x21 and ends up where Ruth gets hit by the arrow but instead Emma saves her, not knowing who she is saves her, but gets hit herself. One shot of Ruth, Charming, and Snow going to save Emma, Emma doesn't know if she's going to live or die, she's weak and not thinking straight so she tells them who she is, and that she's from the future, calls them mom and dad, and tell them she loves them, they believe her.

Emma felt herself fall through the portal, her eyes were shut tight because of the pure light emitted by it, as he hands clutched Henry's storybook to her chest she couldn't help but think of her family and the stories her parents had told her. She landed on the ground with a thump, she hit her head as she did so. She heard two people conversing as she slipped out of consciousness.  
 _"…the girl, my son is going to marry."_

Emma felt someone shake her shoulder. "Five more minutes." She mumbled, thinking it was one of her parent, she rolled over and came to the realisation that she was not in her warm, comfortable bed, and the person shaking her was not her mother or father, or even Henry. She shot up.

"It's okay dear," an elderly woman soothed, "I think you hit your head, you should take it slowly. Come with me into the cabin, my son mentioned that there might be danger."

Emma stood up slowly, she was slightly suspicious of who this woman was, but could tell she wasn't lying about the danger by simply looking at her face.

"Where abouts am – Look out!" Emma cried suddenly, seeing a man with a bow and arrow shoot an arrow towards the woman before falling down himself. Emma quickly pushed the woman to the ground, a second later she sucked in breath through her clenched teeth, and she felt pain cascade from her shoulder to the rest of her body, her legs went weak and she fell to the ground.

"Son!"

"Mother!" She frowned as she heard a familiar panicked voice coming closer to her.

"She was hit protecting me, David she needs help, she's only young."

"We'll get her help mother." Charming crouched down and lifted Emma so she was leaning against him in his arms. "Hi," he said softly to Emma, although he didn't know who this girl was he felt the need to take care of her. "Thank you for saving my mother. We're going to save you, everything's going to be okay, I promise."

"Mother?" Emma asked weakly.

"Yeah, you saved my mother, my names David. What's your name?" he asked kindly, as if talking to a child. His heart was pounding with the urgency and need to save this girl, some feeling that wasn't just because she saved his mother, but some deeper feeling he couldn't identify or explain.

"I'm not a child." Emma complained stubbornly, but in her mind she was trying to figure out a plan, if back to the future had taught her anything, it was that she couldn't stay where she was, yet she was too weak to move. "I'm the same age as you. Or there abouts."

Charming laughed as though he couldn't quite believe her, her strange clothes made her look young, or perhaps it was the need to heal her. "Snow!" he called, as he saw her and a man approach.

Emma's eyes drifted shut, comforted in the fact that her mother and father were both there with her, even if they didn't know who she was.

_"You're going to be a wonderful mother."_

By the time Emma next opened her eyes she was in a cart resting on a bed of hay, covered in blankets.  
"Oh good you're awake." Snow breathed out, as she continued to wipe Emma's head with a cloth, she too had felt drawn to this strange girl, she only had to share a look with her fiancé to know they both needed to save this girl.

"Mom." Emma almost whined, her shoulder in a lot of pain.

"I'm sure you'll see your mother soon." Snow replied not unkindly.

Tears prickled in Emma's eyes, as she saw her mother look through her, looking at her but not knowing who she was. Emma had wished a few times since being back in Storybrooke that she could have just plain old Mary Margret back, her life was a lot simpler then, when her mother didn't know who she was. It was only when faced with the reality that she realised how much it hurt, there was an ache in her chest that had nothing to do with the arrow, and ache she had never felt before. Heart ache of the strongest kind, the ache for home: The ache for her family.

"I know it hurts," Snow responded sympathetically, mistaking the tears in Emma's eyes for pain from her shoulder. "It's poisoned, but we're going to save you, there's a lake called Lake Nostos, it'll be able to help you."

Emma felt adrenaline build up within her, she could barely feel the pain in her shoulder, she knew which time period she was in, she knew no matter what happened, she was dead.

"No, no, no. Please don't take me there. Leave me behind, you need the water." She tried to move but felt the person who she assumed was Ruth push her down gently.

"It's okay dear, there's plenty of water." She said maternally, a confused look crossed her face. "Do I know you?"

"You never met me." Emma responded sadly. "Wait. Where's that book I had?" She tried to sit up again, this time to be gently pushed back by Snow, who gave her a warning look she knew only too well.

"Here you go, but you have to stay still." Snow said as she passed her a book back from her satchel. Charming back over from scouting ahead with Lancelot, who was subtly pulled away with Ruth.

Charming shot a curious look over to their retreating backs, before turning back to his fiancé. "The path looks to be clear, is she okay?"

"She's awake." Snow nodded her head to the cart behind her, where Emma was half lying down, flicking through the pages of a book.

"Hey," he smiled at her as they went over to her. "You passed out before you could tell us your name."

Emma bit her lip, she knew that there was only one way she could convince them of who she was, so that she could convince her mother to drink the sip of water. This way would assure her birth, and both Neal and Henry's births, but she'd have to sacrifice her own life. It was the only choice she had. "Before I tell you my name," She began weakly, "I need to tell you something you might not believe. But I really need you to believe me, please." She pleaded.

Both Snow and Charming nodded their heads concern at how emotional this girl was becoming.

"I'm from the future, I got sent from another dimension, or realm. I live there with my parents and son, and a new baby brother. But my parents are from this one, from your time. They were kinda sucked up in a curse and sent to the other world, they and their friends."

"Wait, then if you have your family in this other place, why would you leave them?" Although this girl seemed to be telling the truth, he couldn't understand why she'd leave her family.

"I didn't mean to." She replied guiltily. "My dad told me not to get too close to the portal… I didn't listen to him."

"We'll help you get back to your family." Snow smiled, even the world family had her feeling nervous. What if the lake didn't work?

"You can't. And I can't drink the water either. This book shows your future. The lake's dried up, there is only one sip left. My mother has to drink it so that I'll ever be born."

"She might have already had it, and we'll find another one for you, we're not going to let you die." Snow replied stubbornly, she shared a look with Charming, confirming they both believed her.

"She hasn't. You haven't got there yet." Emma looked down.

"Me?"

"You were cursed by King George. It shows it in my book." She opened it to the page where Ruth was still getting hit by the arrow. "Ruth would have tricked you into drinking the water that you had found for her. Then on the day of my birth, a curse happens, and I get sent away and I have to grow up without you both. But I took the arrow instead. You have to drink the water, not me. Please, otherwise everything will be messed up."

Charming stared between the two women with his mouth slightly agape, he couldn't quite believe the story, but that didn't stop him subconsciously drawing comparisons between the two.

"I think the poison must be affecting you." Snow said gently. "I'm sorry, but I'm not your mother."

Fresh tears brewed in Emma's eyes. "You are. Please believe me. You hum when you're cooking at home and you always make too much, you hate it when I put myself in danger but then go and do it yourself, and you're the happiest morning person I know. Regina hates you here because you told her mom, Cora, about her true love, Daniel. And when you have a daughter you're going to call her Emma, and you'll get a mobile with glass unicorns on it for her, but she won't ever get to use it." Emma listed off desperately, when Snow gasped and put her hand to her mouth, Emma stopped and turned her head to her confused looking dad. "You always know what to say to me to convince me of things, if I ever wake up at night or can't sleep and I go downstairs you always check on me and make hot chocolate. You go by the name James in the Enchanted forest because you're pretending to be your twin brother who died. And you told me that it took you forever to get used to being treated like a royal so you always manage to get me out of royal crap." Emma could feel the poison weakening her as she fought to stay awake. "And you'd both do anything for me, and you always have, you've always given me my best chance. But I've always thrown it back in your faces because I was scared that you'd leave me or let me down. So I try to push you away or run away from you." Tears started to fall from her face, and her voice broke with emotion. "And I won't get to see the real you again. I'm so sorry mom and dad." She felt two familiar people hold her in their arms, as she once again slipped out of consciousness.

"Emma, wake up." A voice called. Her mom's voice.

The warm sun brought a smile to her face before she even opened her eyes, she was no longer cold, her shoulder was still slightly sore but was no longer in excruciating pain. Her heart no longer felt like it wanted to explode. 'Wait,' she thought 'that's not right, I shouldn't still be here.' She sat up quick as a shot, opening her eyes as she did so. She found herself leaning against a mound of grass nestled in between her parents. Around her were the lush green woods, in front of her, was a vast dark blue lake.

"You need to take it careful kiddo." Came her father's worried tone, the same one that he always used for her. "You've only just healed, it took you a while to drink the water. Do you listen to us where you're from?"

"Not really... you never stop trying to get me to though. Wait, I don't… I don't get it that lake's not meant to be here…"

"That's true love dearie." The high pitched giggling voice made Emma jump slightly.

"Dark one." Growled Charming, his hand held tightly onto his sword.

"Oh do calm down, _Charming._ " Mocked Rumpelstiltskin. "Magic grows from true love, this lake is magic, magic feeds on true love so the lake fed on yours, it's all very simple."

"Then how come it didn't fill up before I was here?" Frowned Emma.

"There was already the true love your parents share for each other, and the love between the wannabe prince here and his mother. Your grandmother would have sacrificed herself for your mother and fathers happiness. But that wasn't enough love."

"Then I don't get it." Emma huffed.

Rumpelstiltskin rolled his eyes, "I wasn't finished. You being here, making your parents believe who you are caused true love, you also have the love of your grandmother." He nodded to the elderly woman who had moved from being off to the side, to being close to the trio. "And you have the love of whatever it is you're wanting to get back through. The people you won't get back to without my help."

"You don't help unless there's something you can gain from it." Glared Snow, as she subconsciously tried to shield Emma from the Dark One.

"What do you have to gain from this?" Spoke Ruth, moving even closer to her family.

"Your newly found granddaughter has changed things, who knows how that can mess up any of my plans. Which is why I'm willing to help. I will give blondie over there a wand, as I assume being the product of true love she possesses magic. The wand will open the portal back up, she will go back through it, she can even take you if she wishes. This charming couple, the disgraced knight, and I will take a memory potion each to forget all about this adventure, we will simply remember events how they were meant to happen. And because I'm feeling extra nice, I've even made it so they'll remember this when you and your granddaughter make it back through the portal." He threw a wand to Emma as he spoke.

Charming, Snow, and Ruth glanced at each other, eventually they all nodded the gold skinned 'man'.

"Wait." Emma bit her lip and looked at her parents guiltily. "I lost my magic."

"No one loses magic, dearie." An evil glint appeared in Rumpelstiltskin's eyes, suddenly Charming was floating in the air, his hands clutched at his throat, as he struggled to breathe.

"No!" Roared Emma, she could hear her own anger in her ears and she automatically grabbed hold of the object which lay in her lap.

Charming suddenly fell into a heap on the ground, and Rumpelstiltskin giggled at the glowing wand in Emma's hand.

Charming hugged his mother, as Snow gently hugged Emma, then both Charming and Ruth walked over to Emma and Snow. Charming took hold of Snow's hand.

"We love you both, and we'll see you in…" Charming said, his voice saturated with love.

"Thirty years… give or take." Shrugged Emma.

"Thirty years." Snow breathed out in a forlorn tone.

"Don't worry, you won't even notice it passing. In fact, dad literally sleeps through most of it." Emma smiled.

Charming and Snow chuckled softly, their eyes filled with pride and loss.  
In that second, Emma realised they, the prince and princess version who were trying to take back a kingdom, the version who gave birth to her, were the same people they were in Storybrooke: Her dad who worked at the station with her, her mom who was maternal before she realised who Emma was, the two who could make Emma laugh, and make her feel guilty by fixing her their paternal glares, within the space of ten minutes. Emma held tightly onto her new-found grandmother's hand, who squeezed back lovingly, then waved the wand focusing on her love for her family, and the want to be back with them.  
"There's no place like home, I guess."

"I've tried all the places she normally goes, I can't find her anywhere."

"I've tried calling her, she isn't picking up still, are you sure you checked everywhere?"

"Yes, even the places she doesn't think we know about."

Even before she landed back in Storybrooke she could hear the concern in her parent's voices. She groaned as she, and Ruth, landed in a heap next to the corner of Granny's Snow and Charming had secluded their worrying to.

"Emma!" Exclaimed Charming, he helped her up and pulled her into a tight hug. He pulled away from Emma sooner than she would have wanted, but still kept her close his hands on her arms. "What happened?" his eyes scanned her for any signs of injury.

"Emma, we were really worried about you, did you just come through a portal?" Snow gently hugged her, being careful of the baby in her arms.

"I, erm, kinda didn't listen to you… I went near Zeleana's portal, I kinda got sucked in…"

"Emma." Charming sighed. "You really do have to listen to us kiddo, trust me, especially when I tell you to stay away from something dangerous."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"David." Ruth stood up from the floor, her eyes filled with wonder at the strange world she had ended up in, and at her son.

"Mother?" David questioned in shock.

Suddenly Granny's was filled with a purple smoke, which disappeared as quickly as it appeared. The party goers looked around confused, not feeling any different, all eyes focused on the royal family. The prince and princess's eyes were filled with tears.

"Mother." Charming smiled, he pulled her into a quick hug, his heart wrestled with the fake memory of her death, and his true memory of his daughter saving her.

"Emma, never worry us like that again." Charming commanded, as he and Snow pulled her into a protective hug.

"Are you okay sweetheart?" Snow asked, remembering the vision on Charming cradling her dying body as they attempted to get her to drink the water, Emma remaining stubborn to the last.

"I'm fine." Emma promised. "I'm home."

"Do you mean that you're not leaving?" Snow asked, barely daring to believe what her ears were telling her.

"No. I'm not going anywhere." Emma said, as she was finally released from the hug.

"We're staying in Storybrooke?" Henry asked happily as he bounded over to his family.

"Yeah kid." She said as she pulled him into a side hug. "This is we belong. This is where our family is." She released him, and stared teary eyed at her parents. "Mom. Dad." She said turning her head to each of them in turn. "I missed you." The family hugged once again, a hug that lasted so long, that anyone in the diner who had been watching them, eventually lost interest.

"Well kiddo, I guess you should be properly introduced. Emma, this is your grandmother Ruth. Mother, this is my daughter Emma. And you met Snow briefly, this is our son whose name we're here to announce, and _my_ grandson, Henry."

"Emma, this is who you get your middle name from." Snow said softly, seeing Emma grow shy at the attention and at the pride in her father's voice.

"Wait I have a middle name?" Emma asked seriously, causing all her family to laugh.

"So, do I get to know what happened?" Henry grinned.

"We may as well sit down kid, it's a long story."

Emma smiled as her dad chose to sit next to her, she listened to her parents filled her in on the parts of her adventure she had been unconscious for. Her eyes kept fluttering shut, before her dad turned to her and promised they'd go home soon so she could rest, but requested that she stay awake a few more minutes so that she could hear her baby brother's name.


	22. Keeping mom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: A story where Snow get seriously ill and Charming, Emma, Hook, and Neal are all by her side for her last moments 
> 
> Set in/after 5b

They had finally made it back through the portal, Hook had been saved, and despite having some very nasty close calls, including one they were running through the portal to avoid, they were about to be home. They ran single file, each holding onto one another, Regina at the front, Snow at the back. They had made it. Then Snow looked back. Her hand came out of her daughter’s grip. Emma’s whole world went to hell.

 

Emma sat and stared at the white walls only stopping to look down at the hospital floors. The only sounds she could hear were the ticking of a clock, her brother’s gentle breathing as he slept in Regina’s arms holding tightly onto Henry’s hand, and Hook’s barely concealed sigh when he tried to hold Emma’s hand and she swiftly pulled it away. She allowed her eyes to wonder to the slight gap between the blinds into her mother’s room, she saw the outlines of her father and Whale stood up, her mother lying partially upright in the bed. Her eyes returned to the floor, she didn’t bother to look up when she heard Whale come out of the room, nor did she look up when she heard her father’s footsteps approach her.

 

Charming crouched down in front of Emma, and placed his hand on her knee the contact forced her to look into his bloodshot eyes. He brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek, “Hey, kiddo.” He smiled at her softly. “Your mom wants to see you and Neal for a little while.” His tone was purposely light hearted and gentle. He stood up and held his hand out to help her up, he carefully took Neal out of Regina’s arms, ignoring the former queens questioning look. Emma stood still her heart hammering in chest, she felt her dad’s hand on her back leading her into her mother’s room.

 

  
Snow’s pale face smiled as her husband and children entered her room. “Hello, my babies.”

Charming gently pushed Emma towards the bed, then placed still sleeping Neal into Snows waiting arms.

Emma took in her mother and father’s faces and knew it was bad news. “What did Whale say? How long ‘til you’re out of here?” She asked, a hope aching in her voice, as if she hoped enough, it’d come true.

“Sit down Em,” Snow smiled when Emma did and automatically held her mother’s hand. “Doctor Whale’s tried everything he could think of. Whatever illness I got from the Underworld is like nothing he, nor Gold, have ever seen. There’s nothing they can do, sweetheart.” Snow gently stroked her thumb across Emma’s knuckles. She glanced at her husband who was stood to the side of the room, tears slid silently down his face as he nodded at his wife, knowing what she’s say next. “I only have a couple of days… I’m so sorry baby.”

“No.” Emma stood up, anger evident in her breaking voice. “No. You’re not going to die. _I won’t let you_.”

“Emma honey, there’s nothing you can do, other than be here with me. Let me spend my lasts with my family, please, I don’t want to waste it trying to prevent the inevitable.”

“So you want me to do nothing, while you go and leave me, again.” Emma asked incredulous.

“Emma.” Charming said sternly, noticing the tears in his wife’s eyes.

“No, fine. Do it. See if I care, I don’t need you anyway. I don’t need anyone.” Emma stormed out of the room, and of the hospital, tears streaming down her cheeks.

  
Charming looked at the open hospital door, then back at his wife, torn between wanting to spend every moments with his wife and needing to find his daughter.

“Go find her Charming.” Snow pleaded, a guilty look crossed her face.

“This isn’t your fault Snow. “ He said as he made his way towards the door. “She shouldn’t have said those things, she was out of order.” He frowned with anger at the door.

“Go easy on her David, she’s just scared. I just wish…” Snow trailed off with a sigh and was meant with an understanding look. “Can you send Regina in?”  


 

“David said you wished to see me?” Regina asked as she took in Snow in her hospital bed, she was staring at Neal with tears in her eyes.  “Is everything okay?”

Snow cleared her throat. “Not really. I erm… I picked up an illness in the Underworld. The thing is there’s no cure, medical or magically.”

“No.” Regina responded not wanting to believe what she was being told. “There’s got to be a way. You’re Snow White, you never give up.”

Snow laughed softly, “You sound like Emma. I’m not giving up. I’m allowing myself to be at peace with it, surely you can understand that? If this was you, would you rather be fighting tirelessly, giving false hope to your loved ones who you never get to see as they’re trying to find a cure, or would you rather be surrounded by those you love?”

Regina sat with a sigh, nodding her understanding. “How long do you have?”

“Two days, three at most.”

Regina closed her eyes and shook her head slightly, her face contorted in pain.

“I wanted to thank you, and ask you a small favour.”

“Thank me? For what, denying you 28 years with your child and true love? For almost killing her again while you were roommates, because I was terrified of losing Henry?” Regina raised her eyebrows, she wanted to make her hate her, that way it’d be easier to lose her.

“You know I don’t mean those things.” Snow raised an eyebrow, she saw straight through Regina’s tactics. “I wanted to thank you, for being such an amazing mom to Henry, I know you’d do anything for him, and for being a good friend to all my family, especially when Emma needs sense knocked into her.” Snow chuckled slightly. “And I wanted to thank you for being like a mother to me, even though it was only for a short time, it means the world to me that you saved me that day with the horse.” Snow paused for a minute. “And thank you for showing me what true love is, I know my parents loved each other, but the love you and Daniel had… it showed me it was possible. It gave me hope. If you hadn’t I don’t know if I would have carried on chasing my husband. Thank you.” Snow finished with tears in her eyes.

“It was my pleasure.” Regina shocked both herself and Snow by wrapping her in a hug, careful not to wake Neal. Regina cleared her throat, “If you tell anyone what just happened, I’ll tell them any and all embarrassing stories of yours.”

Snow smiled at the honesty in her voice. “I don’t doubt you would.”

“What was the favour?”

“I wrote a letter for Neal, for when he’s older. I wrote one for Emma for if she goes through a really tough time and gave it to Charming. I was hoping you’d look after Neal’s letter for him. I know Charming and Emma will tell him stories about me, but I wondered if you could too, you knew me before either of them. It'd help him get a wider view of me, especially as I know you won’t leave out ones where I acted like a brat.” Snow looked down at Neal, tears in her eyes as she was forced to think about yet another one of her children having to grow up without their mom. Her heart filled with the maternal worry for her children that fills all parents’ hearts, the one which never goes away. Regina and Snow sat for a few minutes in a comfortable silence, simply enjoying each other’s company.   
“I best get back to Henry, he’s probably getting worried. I’ll see you in a little bit.” Regina picked up the envelope containing Neal’s letter, and tucked it into her pocket.   
“Of course. I’ll talk to him in a little bit, would you mind sending Killian in first?”

Regina nodded, as she was about to exit the room she looked at the woman who was once her step daughter. She could see cracks of the scared girl she had once known, however a brave face had prevailed in the fight for dominance, putting her family above the fear, as she always had. After all, she _was_ Snow White.   


As Charming drove through the rain to try find his daughter, he couldn’t fully dissipate his anger, although it had lessened some after his wife’s words. Emma had no right to say those things to Snow, she had to know, by now, that neither of them would leave her out of choice. Inside his heart, which had originally been half of his wife’s, was tearing itself apart. He felt as though the world was falling from beneath his feet. And there was nothing he could do to stop it. When Snow and he had found out what was wrong, his sweet, selfless wife had first enquired if he would be okay, after all they hadn’t known the effects of splitting a heart. After she had been thoroughly assured that he would be okay, she made him promise he’d look after their family, even though she knew he would, that he’d stay strong for them. He’d grieve and move on.   
Charming was shocked to find Emma at the first place he looked, perhaps he knew her even better than he thought he did. He parked Snow’s station wagon and climbed out, he slowly walked over to the bench facing the lake where Emma was. He took in how she was sat; her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms were crossed on top of them, her head hidden in the folds of her arms, she was shaking slightly, although Charming couldn’t tell whether that was just because she was crying or if it was also because she sat there without a coat on. She had never looked so young. His anger disappeared as he sat on the bench next to her and tapped her shoulder to get her attention.

As soon as he did she unravelled herself and threw herself at her dad, almost knocking him off of the bench as she buried her head in his chest. He brought his arms around her cold arms, he rocked her slightly as she cried.   
  
  
“Come in.” Snow called as she heard a gentle knock on the door.

Killian shuffled into the room. “Milady.” He greeted he moved slightly closer to the bed. “After looking at Swan’s face, I’m guessing it isn’t good news?”

“It isn’t.” she confirmed. “I got ill in the Underworld, there’s nothing they can do. I’ll… I won’t be here in three days’ time.”

Killian shut his eyes as if shielding himself from the words. “I’m so sorry to hear that.” His words were solemn and sincere, far from his usual jokey self.  

“I wanted to thank you.” Snow started gaining a confused look from Killian. “You’ve helped me and my family on many occasions, you brought Emma back to us when the Wicked Witch was around, and you helped her realise she wanted to stay. And most of all you made her happy. You’re a good hero Killian, and an even better man. Your brother would be proud of you.” Killian smiled humbly. “If Emma pushes you away, when I… well, if she pushes you away, just give her time, and some distance, I’m sure you’ll work it out.” Snow waited for a moment as she allowed her words to sink in. “Lastly, I want to let you know, this isn’t your fault, so don’t blame yourself. And if we’d do it again if we had to, you’re family.”

Killian cleared his throat, tears glistened in his eyes. “Thank you, will that be all?”

“Yes Killian, will you be able to send Henry in for me please?”

 

  
Emma eventually pulled her head up so it was simply resting on her father’s chest, as opposed to completely hiding her face.   
“Em, you’re freezing, let’s get you into the car.”

Emma shook her head no as she continued to hold tightly onto Charming.

“Okay then you need to put my jacket on, otherwise you’ll get ill.”                                         
Emma slowly let go of him, allowing him to take off his jacket and put it on her, after which she clung back onto him.

“Emma, I think we need to talk, don’t we?”

Emma nodded and allowed her father to sit her up slightly, but was glad that he still allowed her to be close, keeping her grounded.  
“I’m sorry.” She said in a small voice.

“I know sweetie. You know your mom isn’t leaving you out of choice, right? We searched for any cure, anyway to save her. There isn’t one. And I’d give anything for there to be one, I’d walk through hell and back, again. Your mom wants to be surrounded with us all, she’d not giving up princess, she’s making the most of her time, with the ones that she loves. Especially you and Neal.”

“I know.” Emma murmured “I just… I don’t want to lose my mom. It’s not fair.”  She broke down into tears again.   
Charming pulled her into a tight cuddle, she was right, it wasn’t fair. They hadn’t had enough time, though he doubted that they ever would. They sat for a few minutes as Emma sobbed and he rubbed her back, tears rolling down his face also.

“Come on princess, we need to stop off at the loft for some change of clothes for us all, and some stuff for Neal. Then we need to get back to your mom.”

“She won’t want to see me. I was so horrible to her, why would she want to see me?” Emma voice was cut with guilt as she sat up.

“Your mother understands, and she will always forgive you, and always want to see you Emma.” He brushed his hand against her reddened cheek.

Emma allowed her father to lead her back to the car.

 

  
  
“There’s nothing we can do, is there?”  For a split second Snow could no longer see her tall 13 year old grandson, she saw the Henry she had once known, the one with no hope.

“No sweetie, there’s not.” She shot him an apologetic smile.

Henry sat on the edge of his grandma’s bed. “Are you in a lot of pain?”

“No sweetheart, none at all.” She smiled at her grandson’s thoughtfulness.

“I’m sorry” he sniffed as he looked at his uncle in Snow’s arms, tears fell onto her sheets. “If I had kept the authors pen, none of this would happen.”  
“Hey,” she soothed as she pulled him into a hug. “This isn’t your fault, you can’t blame yourself. I’m so, so proud of you Henry. You brought Emma back to me and brought us all out of the curse. You helped to convince Regina to turn good. You got Emma to believe in things, and to give Charming and I a chance instead of running from us. I am so proud of you and of the man you’re becoming, I love you so much. I’m so happy and grateful that you’re my grandson.” They sat hugging one another for a while. “Henry can you promise me something?”  
Henry looked up, his eyes were rimmed red. “Anything.”

“Don’t give up on your belief and hope, I know it’ll be tempting, but please don’t.”

Henry nodded his head as he threw his arms back around his grandma. “I don’t want you to go.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

  
As they walked closer to Snow’s room Charming shot Emma concerned looks.  
 She had been silent on the drive to the loft, and had only left his side when he had told her to grab herself some clothes from her room. Even then she had looked anxious at leaving his side. They had run into Regina, Killian and Henry on their way in, Regina had told him they were going to get some air and that they’d pick up food for everyone. Emma hadn’t protested when Charming had ordered her food for her, responding to Henry’s hug out of habit instead. Both she and Killian avoided eye contact with each other.

Charming put his hand on Emma’s back as they walked through the door, he slipped the backpack off of himself and onto the chair that stood near the entrance, “Emma and I thought we should grab some spare clothes for the four of us, didn’t we Em?” He said, hoping to goad Emma into conversation. Snow shot him a worried look when Emma simply stood looking at the ground.

He kept his hand on his daughter’s back as he led her to the side of Snow’s bed, “How about we swap?” Charming smiled at Snow, then slipped his son from his wife’s grip.

Snow reached her hand for her daughter’s, she sighed in relief when Emma allowed her to.   
“Emma your hand’s freezing!” Snow pulled Emma to sit down on the bed and wrapped her in a blanket was on the bed.   
Emma finally looked at her mom, tears were in her eyes. “I’m so sorry mom!”   
Snow engulfed Emma in a hug she rocked her as she did to Neal when he was crying. “It’s okay baby. It’s alright.”

“I don’t want to lose you mommy.” Emma cried into her mother’s shoulder, her sobs distorting her words so that Snow could barely hear her. Tears came to Snow’s eyes as she heard her daughter call her what she should have called her three decades ago.

“You won’t.” Snow remembered what her own mother had said to her, many years previously. “I will always be in your heart. I will always watch over you, I promise.”

Emma eventually settled down and sat up slightly, she didn’t try to hide or even look embarrassed as her dad sent her a loving smile and Snow wiped her tears with the pads of her thumbs. Snow smiled how much Emma had changed since she had first met her, she wasn’t sure if that Emma would have even entered the room, she certainly wouldn’t have been practically attached to David Nolan’s side.

“I’m so proud of you, my Emma.”

“But I haven’t done anything.” Emma frowned.   
Charming moved to sit on the chair next to Snow’s bed with Neal who was now awake and playing with a teddy bear, he dropped a kiss onto the top of Emma’s head as a show of comfort.

“You’ve done everything Emma. You are the person who first made me a mother, you became an amazing kind hearted woman all by yourself. You’re determined, and beautiful inside and out, you’re incredibly smart, and amazing mother and sister. And most of all you’re my amazing daughter, thank you so much for letting me inside your walls.” Tears brewed in Snow’s eyes as she brought her daughter into another hug. “I love you more than you’ll ever know baby.” Snow eventually pulled back, “And I won’t hesitate to haunt you if you start giving your dad trouble,” she joked with a breathy laugh.

 “I think someone else wants their mom as well.” Charming chuckled as he tried to hold an escaping Neal who was attempting to his mother’s bed.

Emma went to put her legs down so that she could get off the bed but was stopped by Snow’s voice.   
“Where are you going sweetheart? There’s enough room on the bed for the three of us.”

 

Emma sat on her mother’s bed into the evening, even while they all ate their food from Granny’s. Eventually Charming and Snow exchanged some worried looks, having a silent conversation.   
“Hey Em? Come with me for a few minutes I need your help.”  
“But…”  
“It’s okay Em, go with your dad for a few minutes.” Snow interrupted with an encouraging smile.

“We’ll be back in about twenty minutes.” Charming said quietly as he kissed his wife. “Em, grab a jacket, you’ll catch a cold.”

Emma rolled her eyes, but grabbed her dad’s spare hoodie off of the chair, then led the way out.

“Perhaps you should have been a bit more specific about whose jacket, mate.” Killian joked from where he sat with Henry playing a card game.   
“Yeah, probably.” Charming smiled, but then he turned to Snow and exchanged a look with her. They both knew that when Emma was desperately seeking comfort she’d borrow things of theirs, often she’d take a shower using her mother’s shower gel and borrow a pair of her fluffy socks, then she’d grab one of Charming’s plaid shirts or his one of his hoodies. “Erm… I’m gonna go grabs some hot chocolates from Granny’s, does everyone want one?” he asked as his eyes darted to Emma stood in the corridor.   
“If it’s all the same, I thought I might retire to my ship for the night.”  
“I was also thinking of taking Henry home for tonight, if that’s okay.” She looked at Henry whose eyes kept closing shut as he tried not to fall asleep. “We’ll be back tomorrow though.” She added quickly.

“Aye, me too.”

“Of course that’s okay.” Snow smiled at them both understandingly.   
Charming nodded and went to join his daughter in the corridor.

 

Charming led Emma to the front doors of the hospital where she froze which brought him to a halt.   
“Wait, where are we going?” she frowned.

“We’re gonna go get some hot chocolates from Granny’s before she closes.” He smiled.

Emma looked conflicted between going with her dad and staying at the hospital, her sad eyes worried into her father’s.

He pulled her in close to give her a hug. “She’ll be here when we get back kiddo, I promise.”

 

“Hey my blue eyed boy.” Snow cooed at Neal after Killian, Regina, and Henry had left. “I’m very sorry that mommy has to leave you, and that I can’t watch another one of my babies grow up. I was looking forward to hearing you say my name for the first time, crawling, walking. I would have taken a million pictures of your first day, and watched you play swords with your daddy. I was even looking forward to having to tell you and Emma off for getting up to mischief, she might be a lot older than you but she still gets in trouble. But now all that will be your daddy’s job, and he’ll do it wonderfully, I just wish I was there for you too. But I’ll be watching over you, even when you get older and decide that you hate me for leaving you, and I’m sorry for that, but I’ll still watch over you. I love you Neal, mama loves you.”

 

 

“Hey Em why don’t you wait here for our order, I need to talk to Red and Granny.” Charming said casually, but there was pain in his voice. There were very few people who were as close as he was to Snow, Red was one of them.

Emma stood in wait but kept glancing at her dad as she made sure that he was close by. For whatever reason she felt better with him close to her, it made her feel like a little kid, but no matter how much she tried to get the feeling to stop, it persisted. Eventually the hot chocolates were left on the counter for her, she stared at the cardboard cups as her dad came back over. He smiled kindly at her but his eyes betrayed the anguish inside.   
  
   
The next day the dwarfs, Red, and Granny all visited, but Emma only left her mother’s side when her father convinced her to go to the cafeteria with him while all seven dwarfs where talking to Snow. Regina, Killian, and Henry also came back to the hospital, and the strangely put-together family spent the day playing card games and sharing memories. Eventually Killian fell into an uncomfortable sleep on a chair at the back of the room, Neal took up half of the spare hospital bed, and Henry a Regina slept on the sofa. Snow and Charming told Emma stories about their lives, and told her what her and Neal’s lives would have been like had they grown up in the Enchanted Forest., until she fell asleep curled against her mother.

After an hour, when they were sure that she was asleep Charming moved his daughter so she was lying tucked into the spare bed with Neal. He automatically placed the guards up so neither of them would roll out.

 

Charming settled onto the side of Snow’s bed.   
“I’ve been trying to say thank you to everyone over the past couple of days, I thought it’d be easier than goodbyes.” Snow started quietly, staring at her children. And I started to try think of one for you, but I can’t. There’s just too much to thank you for. You are my everything, you saved me so many times in so many ways, and you taught me about hope and faith. You gave me the two most perfect children in any world, and for that I could never thank you enough. You’re an amazing dad, I’m glad that if I have to leave them, I get to leave them with you, because you’ll be doing an amazing job, even when you think you’re messing up.” Her green eyes stared deeply into his blue ones. “I love you Charming.”

“I do have a name you know.” He said lightly as he moved his face closer to hers, tears streamed down his face.   
“Charming suits you better” Snow replied, her tears washed away her brave face. She finally allowed her husband see her fear, and her his. She drew him into a kiss.  
Charming eventually fell asleep sat in the armchair next to his wife’s bed, his hand anchoring her to this realm. But Snow kept her eyes open.  
  
In the early hours she slipped her hand from his loosened grip.

Snow’s eyes drifted from the faces of her family to her window. The sky was set on fire by a spectacular orange glow, passionate fuchsias danced between the deep purple clouds who threatened the chance of a nice day, which had previously been promised by the upmost sliver of blue. As the light of the sun grew, Snow’s light faded.   
  
And Snow White, took her last breath.

 

 

 

 


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I just realised that I never uploaded a couple of chapters of this fic onto ao3 from my Fanfic account... my bad?   
> (P.s for quicker updates of my fics loboselina on ff.net

Storybrooke was a vacuum of noise. The inhabitants were silent, and the animals were still, even the trees, it seemed, had stopped their leaves from falling. A void of movement and colour had fallen upon the cemetery where the whole town had gathered to say goodbye

Emma stared at the crisp white coffin which laid in the plot, she took in the engravings of the light blue birds, gliding down to the pale pink flowers, then more swooping towards the golden plaque which held her mother's name. She felt her father gently remove her hand from his so he could shovel some dirt onto the coffin. Emma felt a panic rising in her chest as she watched the dirt fall, her mother hated messes, and the dirt would ruin the pure white coffin. How could they do this?! She knew her panic was pointless, after all her mother was gone, but even as she sprinkled her own dirt she felt the panic rising, her breath quickened with it.  
"I've got you kiddo." Charming wrapped an arm around his daughter as his stood with his son in his other arm as tears rolled down his face.  
He buried his true love.

Charming stood at the bar of Granny's a quiet bustle passing him as they mingled with each other, they only spoke to give their condolences, but they generally left the man, who had watched his true love die only the week before, alone.

"Hey," Red said softly as she put a comforting hand on Charming's arm, she subtly handed him a glass of whisky. "I figured you might need one of these." She followed her friend's gaze to where he was looking, staring at Emma and Neal who were sat in a booth, both seemingly oblivious to the wake happening around them. He saw Emma's eyes search for him every so often, before they returned to her brother. "How are they holding up?"

Charming took a sip of his drink and sighed. "As well as can be expected, I guess. Neal notices she's gone more than I thought he would, he constantly wants to be held by me or Em, and he's sleeping less than usual, I've been trying to stick to his schedule but it's a bit hard right now. Henry's been staying with Regina, he finds it easier there, than at the loft."  
"How about Emma?"

Charming finished his drink in one go. "Not so good. She's barely slept, though she doesn't think I know that, she's not really eating. She's basically attached to my side, like she thinks I'm going to leave her."

"I guess that's understandable, I mean she did spend so long looking for you both, to only lose one of you… she probably _is_ terrified she's gonna lose you."

Charming nodded considering what his wife's best friend was telling him. "You been spending a lot of time with Archie?" he joked half-heartedly.

"Nope, she's just stealing what I told her earlier on." Granny smirked, as she appeared from the kitchen.

Charming chuckled, before sighing yet again. "I guess I best get this show on the road." He walked over so that he was stood next to Emma and Neal.

He cleared his throat, attracting the quiet of the mourners of Granny's.  
"Thank you." He said when silence was achieved. "Thank you all for being here to support my family and I, on this hard day. I know that despite being royalty, Snow never saw any of you as subjects, she saw you all as friends, so I am deeply sorry that we have all lost such a good friend. Snow was not only my wife, she was a teacher, once the mayor, and she was a surrogate sister and grandchild to Red and Granny. And she was a sister to the dwarfs which I may have borne the brunt of once or twice," he paused while some of the diner laughed, "and she was step-daughter to Regina, which I _definitely_ bore the brunt of." The entire diner joined in with the laughter, as Charming and Regina shot each other guilty and forgiving smiles. "And most importantly she was grandmother to Henry, and mother to Emma Ruth, and Neal Leopold, who she loved with all of her heart and all of her being." he felt Emma lean against him as he stood next to her, he wrapped an arm around her automatically and saw Regina do the same to Henry. "Snow was kind, an amazing cook, selfless almost to a fault and wise. She was stubborn – which coming from me is probably saying something. She was also a complete control freak, which is why, in true Snow White fashion, she wrote a letter which she asked me to read to you all."

Emma pressed tighter against her dad, Neal seemed to be listening intently as he lay still in her arms. Charming had told her that Snow had left a letter and offered to let Emma read it, but she had refused, hearing her mother's words would make it too final. She felt her dad's hand rub her shoulder in comfort.

"If my Charming has done as I asked him, and I'm sure he has, he is now reading you all my letter. I want to take this opportunity to express how grateful I am to have been part of such an amazing community, both in Storybrooke and in the Enchanted Forest. I'm proud to call this community my home where I've been able to spend, sadly too few, years with my family. This is the place which my children and grandchild call home, and where I learned to think of as home, and that is due to everyone in it, whom I am proud to call my friends. I could not have asked for better ones, thank you for your bravery, your love, and your loyalty. I know that some of you will be saddened by my passing, but please don't let it change you. And never give up on hope. Love, Snow."

Floods of silent tears threatened to drown the inhabitants of Granny's, as a pregnant pause fell on the group.

"To Snow." Charming said as his raised a glass, his voice cracked with emotion as everyone followed suit raising their glasses for the departed princess.

The mood of the diner soon changed from sombre to reminiscent and jokey, as everyone shared stories of their times both in the Enchanted Forest and in Storybrooke.

* * *

The next month or so passed like a blur to Charming. He moved on autopilot, cooking, cleaning, looking after Neal, and worrying about Emma, but inside he felt as though he was falling, constantly and with nothing to stop him. However, despite this, he felt the falling lessen and lessen when he saw his family and friends. Eventually, despite his raw grief, he stopped expecting Snow to walk through the door. He was shocked how quickly Neal was growing, he was gurgling a lot more than he had been, as though he was preparing to start speaking but was waiting for the right time. Neal had been clingier, which Charming had been worried about at the start, but he had been encouraged by Archie to embrace it, eventually Neal would understand that he still had people around who loved him, even if he didn't have his mommy any more.

Emma however was harder to understand. The first two weeks after snows funeral, Emma had been reserved, she had continued to eat and sleep very little, she spent most of her time with Neal and Charming, she isolated herself from Henry and pushed hook away, having told him she needed space. She and Charming had hired Thomas and robin to work at station part time while Emma and Charming carried on working their shifts together but also became part time. During their shifts Charming became increasingly worried, Emma kept close by his side, she followed his instructions and let him lead investigations. So very unlike Emma.

A month to the day after the funeral, Charming sat on the couch and twirled his wedding ring on his finger. The loft was only enlightened by the lamp which stood next to his seat, he could hear the soft breathing of his children from the other side of the loft.  
Neal had taken to only settling on Charming's bed as it till smelt slightly like Snow, Charming had taken one look at the bag under Emma's eyes and decided to intercept her before she reached the coffee machine. He asked her to put Neal down for the night for him, he claimed he had some paperwork he desperately had to do. Charming hid a sigh of relief when Emma agreed, he had hoped that if she led down with Neal, eventually she'd fall asleep as well, even for an hour. Luckily Charming's hunch paid off, he covered his children with the blanket at the end of the bed and took a second to smile at how Neal was curled up to Emma, her arm protectively around him.  
He stared at a golden frame which sat on the coffee table, imprisoned behind the glass the eyes of his wife looked through him. He took a long sip of his whisky before swapping the glass in his hand for the photo frame

"I don't know how to do this without you Snow." He sighed, keeping his voice low so not to wake Neal and Emma. "I miss you so much, I just…. I don't know how I'm meant to go on." His voice cracked as he leant back in his seat, tears rolled from his eyes. "I know I promised you that I would, but it's just so hard, how am I meant to? I've spent my life searching for you, what am I meant to do now that I can't? I'd do anything to be able to swap places with you. You'd be able to get Neal to not cry so much, and you'd tell Emma to sleep and she'd listen to you. You'd be able to get Henry to actually come to the loft instead of avoiding it. This isn't right. And it's not fair. I know you made us all promise to move on, but how can we? How can I? Half the time I'd rather be asleep, just because at least then I'd get to see you." He paused as he saw Emma roll over slightly on his bed before she settled back to sleep. "I told you I'd always find you." He stated sadly, his heart broke at his broken promise.

* * *

Hook sighed as he looked out his ship's window towards the dock. He pushed his self to his feet and headed to the ships wheel. When he got to it he froze, debating avoiding his supply run for another week, he brought his hip flask to his lips out of habit, only to have a single drop hit his tongue. Supply run it was. He had isolated himself on his ship off a fair bit from the dock shortly after Snow's funeral. His self-imposed exile had started in Granny's where he was meant to meet Emma, who had just returned to work.

******************************************************************************************************************************  
" _Swan." He smirked, as he turned his body towards the direction in which she was approaching._

" _Hook." She replied shortly, he flinched at her emotionless tone and her name choice. "Look, I can't stay for long I just…. I need to talk to you." He held his breath as Emma drew hers in. "I can't do this anymore. Us. I'm sorry, I just… I can't."_

 _He felt as though his insides were being crumbled like sandcastles during an earthquake. He gave her a sad smile "I understand." He did understand, after all, he had the reason they had even gone to the After World in the first place. He was the reason Snow was dead, at least that's what he believed, and his opinion was not about to be changed.  
_ ****************************************************************************************************************************** __  


Charming frowned as he glanced at the piece of paper that led before him, he and Emma had been working the same shifts since after Neal's birth, but on the new roster she had emailed him, she was only down to work half of them with him, her other half were at night. He picked up his phone to text Robin to ask if the changes had shown up on his timetable also, when he heard Emma's footsteps as she descended the stairs.

"Hey Em, have you changed your shift?" he frowned nodding his head towards where the piece of paper lay on the side.

"Oh erm yeah… I figured it was about time, you know?"

He furrowed his eyebrows as Emma pulled on her boots she hopped slightly in order to avoid falling over. "Wait, if you're not working this morning, what are you doing up so early? Even Neal's not awake yet. Where are you going?"

"Oh I'm going to meet Hook." She grabbed her backpack that she hardly ever used walked over to the kitchen where Charming stood to grab a coffee to go.

He crossed his arms, going into protective parent mode straight away, since when had Emma been referring to him as 'Hook'? "I thought that you and he had…?"

"Well, I thought maybe we should try to talk things through or whatever, and we did, so I changed some shifts around so we can spend some time with each other. She would want us to carry on doing what we always do…. Is this interrogation over?" she asked heatedly, she grabbed her coffee and her unusually large bag, and stalked toward the door as quickly as she could.

"Emma." Charming said sternly, unsure whether to bring up how strange she was acting all of a sudden. Emma froze hearing his voice, she slowly turned on her toes but didn't meet his eyes. "Remember to grab some sleep before your shift, please? And something to eat!" he sighed, not wanting to start an argument with his daughter so early in the morning.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." She dismissed as she walked out of the door.

Charming frowned at the closed door something not feeling quite right. He could almost hear Snow's voice in his head, telling him that he was overreacting.

****************************************************************************************************************************** _  
"It's getting late. I'm going to go out and make sure she's okay." Charming almost growled as he paced the floor of the loft._

" _David Nolan, you will not!" Snow's voice scolded._

_David ducked his head for a second, like a child being told off, he grimaced slightly at his wife's choice to not use his nickname. He then raised it and walked back over to where Snow sat on the couch. "But Snow, anything could have happened to her, she's not normally out this late." He tried to ration. "Look, I could just drive around subtly and see if I can spot her, she won't even know."_

" _Charming, as much as I love you, you're about as subtle as a sledge hammer." She pulled on her husband's arm to get him to sit next to her, she smirked as he sat down with his arms crossed. "Plus what would you do if you saw them walking back to the inn together." She teased mischievously, she linked arms with him to stop him from standing up._

" _They won't be." He half growled. "Where's my sword?"_

_Snow couldn't stop herself from laughing at that. "Charming they won't be, I doubt Killian would want to push his luck with you. Plus, we can trust Emma, and she is an adult after all. I'm sorry to say, my love, you're overreacting…slightly."_

_Charming turned his head to look at his wife, he frowned at her in disagreement but snow could see the slight sadness in his eyes. "But Snow, she's my daughter. No matter how old she is, she's always going to be my little girl."_

_Snow lent forward and kissed him softly on the lips. "And that's one of the reasons I love you so much, even when you're being an overprotective daddy."_

_Charming kissed her back before slowly pulling back, a smirk evident on his lips. "Does that mean I get to go find her?"_

_Snow raised her eyebrows, letting him know that there was no chance. As he shot her his trademark smile in an attempt to win her over they heard muffled voices on the other side of the door. Snow tried not to giggle at the way Charming sat back in his space on the couch and crossed his arms over his chest, his face giving off a look of disapproving-'dadness'._

" _If he's hurt or upset her at all, I get to hunt him down." He muttered gruffly, no matter how much he liked Killian as his friend if he had hurt Emma, he wouldn't only be missing a hand._

" _If he has, I'll help you. But I wouldn't jump to any conclusions if I were you." Snow muttered, her last word was still hanging in the air as Emma walked through the door.  
_ ****************************************************************************************************************************** __  


Charming jolted from his memory at the sound of Neal crying. "Sorry buddy," he soothed, as he picked him up from his cot, "Daddy was just distracted, I'm here now."

* * *

"Hey Henry, how's your horse doing?" Charming smiled as Henry jumped slightly from where he was stood brushing his horse's coat.

"He's good, I'm getting pretty good at riding him." He smiled back proudly. "What are you and Neal doing here?" he walked out of the box stall, and shut the gate behind him.

"I was hoping a walk would get Neal to drop off for a nap, but apparently not." Charming replied as he looked at Neal who was now smiling up at Henry from his pram. He watched as his grandson beamed down at his son. "Give it a couple of years and you'll be helping me teach him how to ride a horse." Charming joked, seeing how grown up Henry had got since he had first took him to the stable a couple of years before had made him feel a lot older than he had while he was walking through the town. "Although, I should probably get round to teaching your mom how to ride one first." Charming had, of course, wanted to teach Emma horse riding for years however every time they had set up a date they could both go, something would happen in the town which meant they had to delay. Despite the calm of the town as of late, unsurprisingly, neither of them had even let their mind wander to that father-daughter activity.  
"I think she'd like that." Henry smiled in a way only he could, filling his grandpa with hope.

"You know," Charming started cautiously "we've really missed you around the loft."

"Yeah." Henry hung his head and shoved his hands into his pockets. "It didn't feel the same when grams… and then I guess I figured I'd just be in the way."

Charming pulled Henry into a hug "You're never in the way Henry. You're family." The two stood for a minute until they eventually let the other go. "How about you and Regina come over for dinner tomorrow night?" he smiled, he knew that Henry would feel more comfortable having Regina there with him. And she and Charming had been getting along rather well, in fact she seemed to be the only one treating him like she usually did, which he was immensely grateful for.

Henry's entire face lit up. "Yeah! I'll ask my mom as soon as I get home!"

Charming couldn't help but chuckle at the boy's enthusiasm. The two stayed talking as Henry mucked out the stable, and Charming gently rocked Neal's pushchair, Henry talked about school, and things he and his friends got up to, laughing awkwardly at the bits he told that his grandfather probably shouldn't approve of, Charming laughed and shared stories of his time growing up in the Enchanted Forest, assuring Henry that he had got up to way worse. They carried on talking as Charming walked Henry back to Mifflin Street, before he decided to go grab some groceries as Neal was still asleep.

As he walked he heard his phone make a noise so absent-mindedly he fished it out of his pocket, his smile broadened as he read through the excited reply off his grandson, both he and Regina having excepted the invitation to dinner, Henry went on to detail a plan of what board games they should all play. The sound of his own chuckle almost made him jump as he shook his head at how 'Henry'-ish the text was, he shot off a reply before he text Emma to let her know the plan, he already knew that she wasn't working the next evening so saw no reason why she wouldn't be there.

He had reached the store by the time he received a text from Emma.  
 __  
-Okay-  


He frowned at the unusually short response for a second before putting it back into his pocket, he was about to open the door to the store when a hand, no a _hook_ , reached it first.  
"Killian! Hey." Charming smiled, surprised to see the man there by himself.

"Dave. Here, allow me." Hook nodded, then held the door open so that Charming could push the pushchair inside before following him in himself. He put his head down and started to walk to the alcohol isle.

"Killian,"  
Hook froze and turned on his heels to face the prince, his former (present?) friend.  
"I know we've had our difficulties in the past. We've both tried to kill each other a few times, I'm still sorry that I killed you that one time." Charming looked guilty as he ran a hand through his golden hair. "But I'm glad you and Emma have sorted things out, you mean a lot to her, so… thank you"

The pirate shot him a confused look.

Charming frowned in return. "Emma said that you two had worked things out… You haven't have you?"

Hook shook his head as he looked down at his boots.

Charming sighed, "So you and she weren't meeting up this morning?"

"Aye, we weren't. I haven't seen her since we… parted ways." He looked up to see his friend's concerned face. "Emma _is_ alright, isn't she?"

Charming's head shot up, "She will be. I'll make sure of it." he assured.

The men nodded at each other before drifting apart to collect their own shopping.

Charming took a detour on his way back to the loft but was unsurprised to not see the yellow bug in the station parking lot.

That night Charming didn't fall asleep until he heard his daughter walk, or stumble, into the loft at one in the morning. He was torn between going after her straight away, and knowing that it would do more harm than good. His decision was made for him when he heard her ascend the stairs to her room. He sighed, sat back against the headboard, and pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, he scrunched up his eyes and let out a calming breath. On his bedside table his phone's screen flashed, he sighed again before picking the phone up. Once it had started getting late and Emma wasn't replying to his texts he had got worried. Ordinarily he would have just called someone to watch Neal, gone out and found her, Emma would have been annoyed at him, but Snow would have been able to calm her down and to see things from their point of view. Now he had to play both good and bad cop, he had to play Snow's part as well as his own. He had text Red to ask her to keep an eye out for Emma if she happened to appear at Granny's. Red had taken it a step further and decided to subtly track Emma, her last text had been from outside a bar Emma had been inside of.

**-Watched Emma walk into the building, she should be home now –**

_-She's just come in, thank you for watching out for her-_

**-You might want to give her some aspirin in the morning, I'm pretty sure she drank more than I used to when I was Ruby.-**

_-Brilliant, she'll be a joy to deal with in the morning. Wait, did she see you-_

**-Werewolf senses remember, Princey? -**

Charming swore he could hear her smirking as she sent that text. The nickname she used to teasingly call him in the Enchanted Forest brought back memories of the days they'd be teasing each other so mercilessly that Snow would tell them both to shut up.

_\- Ah of course, how on earth could I forget? Well apparently Emma takes after her godmother more than we were led to believe.-_

**\- Pretty sure we can blame that at least partially on Grumpy. Night Farm-boy-**

_-Haha, yeah that would make sense. Night Wolf-girl, thanks again.-_

* * *

Charming looked up to see Emma walking sleepily towards the coffee machine, he waited for her to sit down at the island before he started to talk to her. "Emma." His stern voice forced her to look up. "I think we need to talk about last night."  
"I finished early so I went out. I'm an adult, I am allowed to." She glared back.

"That's not what I'm on about. I'm well aware I can't lecture you on the amount you drank, and how dangerous that can be, and how you should be setting an example as sheriff-"

"I didn't drink that much! And I thought you weren't going to lecture me?" She snapped.

"Hey, I'm not." He warned "I'm also not trying to argue with you. I was worried about you, especially as you didn't phone or text. That what I wanted to talk about. Just let me know so I'm not so worried about you, please kiddo?"

Emma sighed and looked down at her placemat. "Yeah. Sorry." She muttered.

Charming frowned. "Is everything okay Em?" After seeing her emotional replies he decided not to quiz her about Hook.

"Yeah." She gave him a small faked smile, he saw through in a second. "I'm gonna grab a shower."

"Okay kiddo, see you in a minute."

As he heard the shower turn on, he turned his head to discuss what had just happened, with Snow. He felt his heart drop as he remembered he could no longer discuss anything with his wife.

* * *

"I'm just grabbing a shower!" Emma called as she shot up the stairs to the upstairs bathroom.

Charming raised his eyebrows to his son who was in his arms, "Your sister's cutting it close, isn't she buddy?" he moved over towards the hob where spaghetti Bolognese was cooking. He shifted Neal to his hip and tilted his opposite side towards the hob so that he could safely stir it, as soon as he put the lid back on the loft door opened again.  
"Hey Gramps! We brought dessert and games!" Henry called as he walked over to the living room to place the games down.  
"Doubting my culinary skills Regina?" Charming asked as he raised an eyebrow towards her.  
"Do you blame me?" She asked as she placed a white box in the fridge, making herself at home. "Although, even I must admit, you're doing pretty well at the solo parenting thing." She added, so quietly that he was unsure for a second if she had actually said it.

"It's not apple… is it?" He mocked wearily, neither of them overly comfortable to stay being openly nice to the other for very long.

Regina was about to bite back a witty retort when they heard Emma thundering down the stairs "I'm off out I'll text yo-"she trailed off as she glanced toward the kitchen where she knew her father was. "Ah, crap." She grimaced quietly.  
"Emma?" Charming questioned. His tone demanded an answer, his eyebrows were drawn together and his mouth open in confusion.

"Mom?" Henry face had fallen as he walked towards his family.

"I completely forgot we had this on today. Something came up so we're doing a stake out tonight."

Charming frowned, he would have thought that he would have been informed of something big happening. He glanced quickly to Regina who shared a look which told him that no one had told her either.

"You're pushing us all away again. You don't have to mom. We're family, we're all here for each other." Henry said as he somehow combined a hurt tone with a comforting smile.

"I'm not, there's just something happening which is pretty top secret. I'm not going dark again." She assured.

Charming looked at her face and saw that she was telling Henry the truth, at least about turning dark again. Her face and tone was truthful, there was no reason why he shouldn't trust her. But there was a feeling in the pit of his stomach, his fatherly instincts, he supposed, telling him that something wasn't quite right. "Em will be home when we do this again next weekend, won't you Emma?" He heard himself asking.  
"Of course." She shrugged off. She quickly drew Henry into a hug. "I'll see you soon kid. I'll be home later dad, don't wait up."  
"Emma-"  
"Yeah, yeah, I'll text." She shrugged off as she walked out of the loft.

* * *

Despite working with each other, Charming didn't have an opportunity to talk to Emma until half way through the next day.  
"How'd the stake out go last night?" Charming asked from the front seat of the cruiser, he kept his eyes on the road.

"Huh?" Her head shot up from the window where she'd been resting it. "Oh, it was a flop, turns out it was totally unimportant. I'll be sorting out the paperwork for it for the next few days though."

"What was it for?" He tried to keep his tone casual, he had been feeling like he was walking on egg shells around her the past few days. ****  
"Can I tell you about it another time? I'm just really tired."  
He looked at his daughter's weary face, and took in the bags underneath her eyes. "Of course kiddo. Maybe you should leave the paperwork for today, get a good night's rest instead."

"Nah, I'll be alright."  
He watched as she fiercely blinked her eyes open. He felt like he was losing her over and over again. But she was his and Snow's child, she had both of their stubbornness, he knew that she'd refuse to talk and become even more secretive. "Well, you know I'm here if you need any help." He said, hoping that the double meaning would make it through to Emma. "Henry really missed you yesterday. And I missed having to help you cheat at monopoly." He smirked.

Emma gave a small smile back, "That's because we make it realistic. Crime is a realistic part of life." She chuckled. "And I told Henry we'd meet up at Granny's this week, just the two of us."  
For a second he could almost see his carefree daughter, his heart filled with hope. There was no way he'd give up on her.

* * *

Over the next couple of weeks Emma had drifted further and further away. Charming was doing everything he could to try keep her close but to no avail.

He'd changed his shifts so that he could work with her, she'd stay withdrawn and stay late to 'do some paperwork', he'd tell her to be home for dinner, and she'd eat quickly then go straight back out. Red was texting him every night, having taken it upon herself to keep an eye on Emma who kept disappearing to the rabbit hole. One night he'd tried to talk to her, but she was too intoxicated to talk sense to, after that she'd started sneaking in using an old fire escape. He's asked both Robin and Thomas about any stings or things Emma was working on, they informed him that she was hardly ever there, only working the shifts with her father. Regina would invite him, Emma, and Neal around at the weekends for food and to spend time with Henry- Emma would always bail at the last moment, claiming that she'd meet up with Henry at Granny's. It took Charming and Regina an hour to finally get Henry to admit that she had been skipping them meeting up too. They had had suspicions when he had seemed closed off and had been giving them short, unenthusiastic answers.

* * *

Charming sighed as he held Neal to his chest. "Regina I hate to ask this, but do you have anything that would be able to tell us if she'd been using magic or magically things?"  
"You think she's returning to the darkness?" Regina half accused astounded.  
"Of course not!" Charming yelled, he looked to the other room where Henry was still sat and quickly lowered his voice. "But I don't know what she's doing, I'm constantly worried about her. I am her father, but somehow I keep messing up, I can't protect her when she's pushing me away. If she keeps going on how she has been… I'm worried I'll lose her as well."

Regina softened at the desperation in his tone, he'd do anything for Emma just as she would for Henry. She also knew she owed it to Henry to find out what was happening, her son needed their slightly weird family. "There's a book, if you have something of Emma's I can magically link her to it. It'll work for a day and tell us what magic or magical objects, if any, she's using."

Charming nodded as he brought out Emma's baby blanket from Neal's changing bag, he'd already brought it with him as a precaution. He was becoming way too used to having to try find Emma.

* * *

A loud banging made Charming's head jolt forward, he winced as pain shot through his neck. He quickly realised that he had fallen asleep on the couch, he scanned the loft to see if Snow was still asleep. He cursed himself when he remembered: she was gone. He hurried to the door when another bang erupted from it.

"David." Red's voice was full of concern and emergency, sobering Charming's sleepiness. "You need to go get Emma. She's at the Rabbit Hole, she was very drunk, so I went in subtly and I saw her with some of the dodgiest of the wonderland lot. I tried to get her to leave but she wouldn't. David. She needs you." Red's words stumbled over each other in her haste.  
Charming snatched his jacket up. "Watch Neal." He commanded before he ran down the stairs.

Charming was happy that he was one of the sheriffs of the town as he raced towards the infamous bar as fast as his truck would take him. They had been having trouble with a group, or more aptly a gang, of people from Wonderland since the breaking of the first curse. After each of the curses both he and Emma had openly, audibly, and often, hoped that the Wonderland lot wouldn't have come back with them. They were trouble. When Charming and Emma weren't busy with a curse, or a new villain turning up, they were busy with the group with their special herb and drug dealing. The problem was, they never got caught, they somehow managed to disappear any of the drugs and herbs before they could get to them.

'If Emma's in there with them' Charming thought as he skidded his truck as close to the bar as he could 'and she's been drinking, things could go bad very quickly.' He grabbed his sword from where he had left it under his truck seats, and raced into the Rabbit Hole.

The loud music assaulted his ears as soon as he made his way through the door, Charming only realised how late, or early, it was when he noticed very few groups of people inside the normally chaotic bar, some drunks passed out of seats, a couple of people flirting at the bar, a group gambling on the outcome of a match of pool. He glanced towards the clock above the bar to see it had already passed four in the morning his eyes slid down to the group flirting at the bar as he tried to think where Emma could have gone now, after all there was no way she'd be in any of the groups. He took in a sharp breath when he realised the girl who was sat at the bar, flirting with the two males, was his daughter. He noticed the bartended nervously back away from the bar towards the back room, he didn't look pleased about the company that the prince's daughter was keeping, it took Charming a second to realise why.

"Everyone out now! This bar is now closed. Anyone still here in forty seconds will be taken to the station." He bellowed with royal command as fire filled his veins.

Even the people who had passed out shot up at the voice, and were now scurrying out, within thirty seconds the place was clear except for the people sat at the bar. The music stopped.

"I said everybody out." He spat as he walked right up to the group.

Emma twisted in her seat to turn her back to him, while the two males gave him feral smiles.

"Well we would have, but we thought you would make an exception for your little girls… _friends_ " the man who was around Emma's age gave a feral looking grin, the heart earring in his ear marked him out as one of the Queen of Heart's old lot.

"I doubt very much you're her friends."

"I'm fine." Emma slurred loudly, as she span back to face her father, she leaned against the man who had spoken to Charming in order to stop herself from falling off of her chair. The man put an arm around her, which she did not shake off.

"You're not fine, Emma. You're drunk, I can smell the alcohol on you from where I'm stood." He replied sharply.

"I'm not drunk, I've barely drinked" Emma frowned "Drank? Drink? Drunk." she questioned, distracted by trying to fix her word choice.

The older bald man who hadn't yet spoke smirked at Charming. "See, your highness" he mocked "she's fine. We'll look after her for you, you run off home."

"You will not look after her for me." Charming growled as he stepped closer to Emma. "If I were you, I'd run off home before I decide to search you for drugs." He threatened.

"You could do that but then surely you'd have to search your daughter." The knowing smile made Charming's skin crawl.

Charming surged forward and grabbed the earring-ed man by the lapels. "Get out of here now. If I see you in even remotely the same vicinity as my daughter, I'll push you over the town line and make sure you never find a way back in."

Something in Charming's voice caused the earring-ed man's face to fall and the bald man to shoot up. "Okay. We're gone. Come on Dale." The bald man promised, Charming let go of the one called Dale. He stood with his arms crossed as the two men half ran out of the bar.

"I'm going too." Emma said, she stumbled as she stood up but was still attempting to act sober.

"The only place you're going, is home with me." He said sternly as he grabbed Emma's coat from where it had fallen on the floor. "Now, let's go get in the truck."

"You can't tell me what to do David, You're not my dad!" Emma shouted, an automatic, angry response from her childhood, brought on by some reason which was hidden from David. Her face fell into a look of confusion and sadness, but it was clear she wasn't entirely sure why.

Charming's breath caught in his throat, he could tell she wasn't thinking right, that she was overly drunk _, too drunk_ to know what she was really saying. But he still felt his heart break. He quickly composed himself. "Yes, _I am_ , Emma Ruth Swan. " He firmly but gently held her upper arm and starting to lead her out of the darkened building, towards the red truck. "Now, you _will_ get into the car right this second, or I will put you in it and you'll be in even more trouble."

Emma stood her ground in the car park a few feet away from the truck. Charming sighed, opened the passenger door, and then walked over to Emma.  
"Emma, please go get into the car, it's time to go home." He said calmly, he could almost imagine that this is how he would have spent a fair amount of time if they had raised Emma in Storybrooke.

"No." She scowled back.

In one swift motion Charming picked her up and deposited her into the seat, he buckled her seat belt up in silence as she complained, then he slammed the door shut, all while making sure not to hurt her.

Charming stood outside of his truck for a few minutes attempting to steady his temper, there was no point in trying to discuss anything with Emma at the moment, let alone whatever it was that Dale and the other man were talking about, until the next day. He walked over to his side of the truck, got in and started up the engine.

As soon as Charming got into the vehicle Emma turned her head to scowl at him, she was obviously angry at him, but had thought better about simply getting out of the truck. "You can't treat me like a child."

"Emma, I'd be very, very, careful with how you speak to me right now, you're treading on very thin ice." His voice was low, quiet, and cold, as he kept his eyes on the road.  
A cold feeling settled in her stomach when Emma heard his tone, despite all her stubbornness, she knew to be silent for the rest of the trip back, she shut her eyes and rested her head on the door window in an attempt to quell the queasy feeling and her spinning head.

Charming pulled into the parking lot of the apartment building, he looked over at Emma, bracing himself for another argument. Her head was leant against the window as her shoulders rose and fell gently, the light of the lamppost outside illuminated her sleeping face, drawing his attention to the vast bags which lay under her eyes. It was in this moment that he missed his wife even more than he had before. He missed the way she gave him faith, and he her, that they could do anything, help anyone. But now, he was alone. One of the people who mattered most to him in this world was hurting, so, so, badly, yet he hadn't realised how bad it was. He hadn't saved her, he had just let her push him away. He'd ignored her lies about her relationship with Hook, her lying about working extra shifts, that she meeting up with Henry. He had failed her. Again.

He allowed himself to wallow for a few moments in self-pity, 'Perhaps,' he thought, 'it would be easier to give up.' As soon as the thought entered his head he immediately shook his head in disgust. How could he even think that? She was still Emma, and he was still her father. He'd do anything for her, he'd never give up. He got out of the truck and walk round to Emma's side, careful to shut the door quietly. He gently picked Emma up and started to carry her into the building and up the stairs. She shifted so that her head was resting on Charming's shoulders, her hand clutched onto her dad's t-shirt, he realised how light she was, worryingly so. By the time he reached the loft Red had the door open to let him inside, he smiled gratefully at her when she followed him towards his bed and pulled the covers down so that he could lay her down. He took off her coat then tucked her in gently and followed Red to the kitchen.

"How'd it go?" Red asked, breaking the silence.

Charming let out a sigh, "Terribly." He smirked sardonically "Is there ever going to be a point when things will go well?"

"Hey. You can't think like that." Red protested as she drew him into a hug. "You gave me hope and never let me give up, I'm not letting you give up either."

"Thanks wolf-girl" he teased gently.

She smirked back and rolled her eyes. "Did you manage to get rid of the Wonderland lot?"

"Yeah, they won't be coming near her ever again." He frowned as he remembered their words. He picked up Emma's coat from where he had slung it on the counter. He rooted through her pockets placing the contents of them onto the counter. Her cell phone, twenty dollars, chewing gum, a parking ticket for where her car currently was, and a small bag filled with a green plant.

"Drugs." He sighed defeatedly. "God, what's she been getting herself into?"

Red looked like she wanted to argue with him, but seemed to find no valid point. "Look you can ask her when she wakes up, I'm sure there's more to it than you think. You should get some sleep before she and Neal both wake up." She stroked his arm in a show of solidarity before leaving the loft.

Charming walked over to the living room and placed the drugs into a box which Snow used to hide things in.

He walked back into his room and sat down in a chair next to the bed, watching to make sure his daughter was safe as she slept.

* * *

Charming opened the door to see Regina outside it, glowering.

"Regina, look" he sighed as she forced her way inside "I'm really not in the mood for whatever this is, especially this early in the morning."

"This is important." She paused as she looked around the loft, she wrinkled her nose in disgust "Is there a reason it smells like a distillery in here?"  
Charming walked back over to the table to finish feeding Neal his breakfast. "Emma apparently decided to go out last night."  
"What'd she do drink all the alcohol in Storybrooke?"

"It wouldn't surprise me." He said in a strained tone.

"It's her I'm here to talk about actually."  
"Look, Regina. This really isn't the time."  
"This is exactly the time!" She pulled the book, which she was tracking Emma's magic, out of her bad. "She's been using magic, the sort even I wouldn't want to be touching."

"Dark magic?" he asked astounded.

"Not quite, but also not magic from this realm, or the Enchant forest."

"Wait, how'd you know?"

"Magic gives off a feeling. Magic users can tell the difference between good and dark magic. But this magic is different." She paused for a second, and opened her book to show the list of magic Emma had been using, she pointed at the name of a book in a language Charming couldn't even understand. "David, this magic feels like the magic in the Underworld did."

He fell back against the back of the chair. "That would explain why her room looks like something out of Criminal Minds. There's books and pictures everywhere, strings connecting maps, she's been trying to find different items. She's trying to get Snow back, but there's no way Snow would still be in the Underworld."

"No. She had sorted out any unsolved business while we were down there. Anyway, there's no way her magic could be that strong, not without combining it, or somehow doubling it."

Charming's eyes widened and he shot up from his chair to the lounge, only to return a minute later. "Unless she was trying to find something to increase it." He passed the bag, he had confiscated off of Emma the previous night, to Regina. "You've probably had more dealings with the Wonderland lot than I have."

" _Emma had this?!"_ she exclaimed aghast. "What the _hell_ has your daughter been up to?"

They heard a groan and a banging come from Charming's bed room, only to see Emma stumbling into the dining room a second later.

"Miss Swan. What the hell have you been doing? Do you have any idea how irresponsible you've been?-"

"Regina." Charming interrupted before an all-out argument started. "Perhaps you could go grab the book from where she left it, I presume it's not here." He turned his head to Emma. "Where's the book Emma?"

Emma swallowed at his no-nonsense tone. "It's in my bug."

Charming and Regina shared a look before Regina left to go retrieve the item, some understanding between them having been silently reached.

"Sit down, Emma." Charming said as soon as the door shut. "We need to talk."

* * *

Emma took a seat next to her little brother's highchair. Even looking at her half dozing little brother's face couldn't get rid of the hopelessness which filled her. She saw her father look too at the youngest member of their family and smile gently, he carefully picked him up and walked to go put him down for a nap. That's when she felt the familiar feeling, the talk which she'd had with many others. The one telling her she'd gone too far. Her time here was up. Her father's warm hands taking hold of her own forced her out of her head. His kind face was still that of her fathers, she could see the disappointment in it, but another look overwhelmed it. Worry? Concern? No, love.

"I need you to tell me everything that's happened kiddo. I'm going to help you. I need you to tell me everything, so that I can."  
******************************************************************************************************************************

_It had all started one morning when Emma had woke up. It had been a couple of weeks since her mother's death, yet Emma still woke up expecting to hear her mom talking to her father, brother or son, or for her to shout up the stairs to wake Emma up, ready to try to get her to eat a healthy breakfast. It was a bump that had woke her, she looked at her clock to see that she had managed to get about three hours sleep, which was more than she had been getting since they got back from the Underworld. Normally she woke up in a cold sweat, nightmares of their time in the Underworld, and new images of her mother being tortured. Ones she knew could not be true, her mom had made her peace, she had no unfinished business to stick around for. She looked over to see a book lying on the floor, from the thickness and shape of it she figured it was Henry's book. Although she thought it was odd that he had left it at the loft, he hadn't actually officially moved out, and he wasn't the same little boy who needed the book with him constantly like a literary safety blanket. She started to get the anxious feeling in her stomach again, the one where she felt the need to be around her father again. She felt ridiculous needing her father to be near her constantly at her age, yet he didn't seem to mind. Another glance at the clock told her that he wouldn't be up just yet, and even her neediness had limits, she would leave it an hour or so before she went downstairs. Her feet hit the cold floor as she went to retrieve the book, hoping to seek refuge in the stories where both parents were still alive. It was only when she opened the book that she realised this book was not in fact the book she thought it was. The book seemed to force her to ignore the questions inside her, asking her where it had come from, the instincts screaming at her that the book was unsafe. It awoke something in her, a hope of some kind. She was going to get her mom back._

_She started to ignore her father, her family, her friends- her son. It was almost like an out of body experience, she wanted to reach out to them, to connect to be able to hug them. But she couldn't. One page had particularly captivated her, deep down she knew the spell was wrong, it would work but at great cost. Her own naturally light magic screamed at her that there was an answer in the book- that she could save her mother without losing herself. But her body was not her own. So she would obsess over the singular page, she started to seclude herself even more, and when she would hit a brick wall with her progress, she would go and drink. She would drink and drink, all in the hopes of quieting the despair in her brain. She had eventually tracked down a drug that would strengthen her magic, her drunken state along with something else inside her ignored the danger of flirting with the men, the repercussions that could occur if she went too far.  
_ ****************************************************************************************************************************** __  


"Oh Emma." Charming waited until the end of her story before drawing her into a hug. "It's not always up to you to save the day, kiddo."

She shook her head against his shoulder, her hands holding fistfuls of the back of his shirt as she allowed herself to be engulfed in the interaction. "It's my fault we even went to the Underworld in the first place. It was my fault that Hook was there, I couldn't stay with him. How could I stay with the person I love, when the people who taught me about love couldn't be together? I had to push you _all_ away, otherwise you'd all end up dead, and I couldn't do that. I'm so sorry."

"Emma, your mother's death isn't your fault, we all chose to go, and we kept choosing to stay. It's not down to you honey. This is just your mind telling you that it's your fault, you're ill but we're going to make you better. I promise." Emma felt as though the weight of the world had been lifted, she felt free but helpless as she cried into her father's shirt and allowed him to hold her.

* * *

Regina didn't bother to knock on the door as she walked in this time, the book was heavy in her arms and she could feel the magic radiating through it. She looked towards the couch where Charming was shifting Emma off of him from where she was led asleep. He walked over to the kitchen table as Regina placed the book down on it. One look at him got him to explain what had happened.

"I know she's the 'saviour'" he said bitterly "but why does everything have to be put on her shoulders? Why can't she catch a break? Where's _her_ happy ending?"

Regina gave him a tight sympathetic smile then looked towards Emma, seeing a couple of pieces of paper on the coffee table. "Is that Snow's letter to her?"

"Yeah, turned out Snow had realised that Emma would blame herself. And that she would be tempted to push us away again." He sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time. "She was always so much more perceptive than I. I just wish…" he trailed off as he looked longingly at the book.

"You think she's right." Regina realised. "There's a way to get Snow home with the book."

"I think we owe it to Snow to look, but I'm not letting Emma near this book again."

"You think you'll be able to stop her?"

"Yes." He responded fiercely.

Regina had never thought she'd get along with the prince, yet seeing the love he shared for his family, his hope, and determination, his overprotectiveness as a father… well, she realised that she had been wrong about him.

"Then let's look."

"David." Regina called sharply.

Charming rushed over from making them more coffee, and looked anxiously at the page she held out. "Wait, we saw them before we got out of the Underworld." He stated confused.

"I remember them." Emma said sluggishly as she rubbed her eyes, neither Regina nor Charming had noticed her wake up and walk over to the table, but both had been so occupied in their own thoughts that it was unsurprising.

Regina looked wearily between Emma and Charming before continuing. "The book explains what they do. They lock onto a soul and use the person's body as a free ride to different realms. They aim to create as much misery as possible, they make you isolated, stop sleep, make you eat less, it also feeds off the pain of others around you. It'd explain why we all left you alone so easily."

"Wait, but that could all be explained by Snow-"  
"-passing. Yes I know. However, these can also manifest other people. They freeze them in time, like how Elsa and her kingdom were frozen, then they use their memories to create a realistic person."

"So, how do we save my mom? "

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, first we need to figure out if it is here or not. Lucky for us, I was a little bit paranoid when I was the Evil Queen. I should have to right potion to detect it in my vault."

"Wait, but who is it inside?" A look from both her father and Regina send a shiver down her spine. "You think one latched onto me?" She asked sounding scared.

Charming pulled her into a side hug automatically. "How would we separate her from it?" he asked the Mayor.

"I can give her the potion, if one isn't part of her she'll be fine." She reassured. "If one is, it'll be like she has a twenty four hour flu. After a few hours, it'll separate into a useless being in a box: they can't survive outside a human host."

"Do it."

Charming held his hand up to silence Emma. "Is Emma in any danger this way?"

"Dad, who cares? It's worth it!"

Charming shot his daughter a warning look.

"No more than the common flu, you have my word." Regina promised. "This is the best way to get Snow back."

Charming nodded once. "Okay, but how to we actually get Snow back?"

"There are a few ways. The person with the creature inside them can travel to the Underworld, there they can swap it for Snow. Another way is someone can carry the creature back there in the box and swap them for Snow."

"I'll go." Charming declared.

"I'm coming with you."

"No, _you're not_. The underworld prays on bad memories, you barely made it out alive last time Emma. You're staying here, I'm not losing you as well."

"So I have to lose another parent?" She glared, fire in her voice.

"Emma. This is not up for negotiation. You are not going. End of story. I will have people watch you to make sure you don't go, if I have to, so don't even try." Charming's voice was as stern as it had ever been, he puffed his chest out and crossed his arms with authority.

"You can't-"

"Will you both stop being self-sacrificing idiots? What if there's a way where no one has to go?" Regina dismissed as she rolled her eyes.

"How?" Charming eyed Emma cautiously, as though he expected her to run out the loft to save her mom if his eyes weren't on her. "Is this as safe to bring her back this way as going through the underworld again?"

"It's safer. Snow and Emma share DNA, I can take some of Emma's magic to lock onto Snow, I'll use the _drugs she bought"_ Emma shrunk as they both looked with disproval at her, "to boost my own power, I'll be able to create a temporary portal. It will last long enough to do the switch."

* * *

As soon as Emma had drunk the thick black potion she felt ill, and not just from its disgusting taste. She felt her legs buckle underneath her, and her father's arms wrap around her.

"Come on Em, let's get you to bed." He put his arm round her shoulders and supported her to his bed.

"At least we know it's in her." Regina commented as Charming tucked her into the bed, she had already placed the receptacle for the creature at the lake where they had arrived from the Underworld.

"Yeah." He let out a relieved chuckle. "I'm going to get my wife back."

"Oh great, two of you to be annoyingly optimistic again. I can hardly wait." She smirked, unable to put even playful malice in her tone.

"I should get Emma some medicine." He said as he stared with love at the blonde woman. As if on cue Neal started crying in his crib. "I've got to admit, it's going to be easier not having to do this parenting thing on my own."

"I'll get him for you." As soon as she picked the baby up he stopped crying. "You know, I could watch him for you for a while."

Charming raised an eyebrow in response.

"I don't hurt babies." She bit back. "Anyway, Henry misses him."

Charming hid a smile in response. "Thank you Regina, I'd appreciate it." He quickly packed a bag for Neal and arranged to meet at the lake in 6 hours, before he returned to Emma's side with some flu medicine.

"Hey kiddo," he said softly waking her up, when she opened her eyes he helped her sit up "I need you to take this medicine, it'll start to make you feel a little better."

She groaned at looked at him. "Is this the night time stuff?"

"Would it matter if it were?" he feigned ignorance at her question.

"I'm going with you to get mom. I know Regina can do it without me actually being there, but…"

He saw the determined glint in her eye. "I know you are, so this isn't the night time stuff." He smiled as she accepted it gratefully. "You realise your mom's going to make you take the night stuff later though, don't you?"

"I kinda guessed. She's going to be insufferable, not only do I have the flu, it's from being possessed – or inhabited, or whatever." She joked.

"Like you ever complain about us mollycoddling you." He smirked teasingly. "In fact, don't you usually demand that we all watch movies?" He saw her blush and give a shy smile, and couldn't help but feel like for the first time in months, he could breathe.

"So…" Emma started, trying to keep herself awake. "On a scale of one to ten, how much trouble am I in?"

He raised his eyebrows. "For constantly putting yourself in danger, lying to me, hanging out with- _and buying drugs_ , from the Wonderland lot?"

Emma slipped down the bed clearly regretting asking, she wanted to protest that it wasn't really her fault and that even if it was she was an adult who was responsible for her own actions. But there was something comforting knowing that her father, her parent's, cared enough about her to want to protect her. Even if protecting her meant protecting her from herself.

"I'll speak to your mother when she's back, but you're going to be off duty for at least a month." His words were severe, yet full of love and comfort. "You need time to get yourself together after this, we all do." He gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. "But what you really need to do right now, is get some sleep."

* * *

The fog hung low of the murky lake. Emma winced as the cold air hit her lungs. Charming threw another arm around her shoulders and they both pretended he wasn't supporting most of her weight. "Why's the weather always like this, do we really need any more drama to our lives?" Emma grumbled. "Where's Neal?" She asked as they got to where Regina was stood. She started to look around slightly confused and delirious from the magical flu.

"He's with Red, kiddo, we'll pick him up later." Charming soothed. "Shall we get on with this?" he directed to Regina.

She nodded as she looked apprehensively at Emma. "This is going to leave her very tired, and it's going to take her longer to fight off the flu." She warned as she placed her hand on Emma's shoulder, Charming still supported her on her other side. Regina pointed her other hand at the blacked out box, which set alight then crumbled into ashes. The ground shook in protest, and the sky cracked with thunder. A portal appear like a mirage in front of them there was a flash of light above, and when the mirage faded, Snow was stood behind it.

"Mom!"

"Mary Margret!"  
"Snow!"

Snow ran towards her family, and wrapped the three in a hug. They all stood in silence as their hearts filled with love.

Eventually they pulled away, and Snow turned to Regina. "Thank you, so, so much."

"You could see what was going on?" Regina asked curiously.

"It felt like I was watching it on a television or something, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't reach you guys."

"Well it's over now." Regina assured. "I'm going to go home and let Henry know what happened. I'll keep him with me tonight, let you catch up with David and Emma." She gave her a knowing look. "Although I can't guarantee that he won't be round first thing tomorrow."

Snow drew her into another quick hug before she turned to her daughter. "Oh Emma." She gently cupped her cheeks feeling the heat beneath them, she gently pressed a kiss on Emma's forehead. She pulled her daughter into a hug as tears fell from both their faces.

After a few minutes Snow felt a hand on the small of her back, she carefully pulled away from Emma. "You found me."

"Did you ever doubt I would?" he smirked with sad eyes.

"The other realm gave me pause." She joked then pulled him into a long kiss. A kiss of relief, hope, love, a kiss which allowed the other to realise the others and their own despair. It was as though time stood still, in their stolen moment, nothing else mattered. When they parted they kept their heads close together, as if they were determined to never part.

Charming felt something against his leg, he looked down, Snow mimicked his action. Emma was sat on the wet ground, half asleep as she was slumped onto her father's leg.

"I think we're losing her to sleep." He remarked as he picked Emma up.

"Let's get her home, I want my babies around me." She replied quietly.

"'M not baby." Emma muttered into her father's shoulder.

* * *

"I think I've lost my place in the bed." Charming whispered from where he sat on the bed, Emma was next to him curled up to her mom who had Neal asleep resting on her chest. "I'm so sorry I gave up on you Snow."

"Hey, you didn't you did as you thought I wanted. If that had been me, it _would have been_ what I would have wanted you to do. You did your best for our family."

Charming looked down at Emma who turned in the bed to curl into him. "Yeah, that didn't do Emma so well."

Snow gently caught hold of his hand "You got me back. I would say it worked out pretty well, don't you? And from the looks of Emma she thinks you did too. Anyway, you didn't really give up."  
"What makes you think that?"

"I saw everything that was happening, you didn't get to grieve properly. You went numb, you didn't grieve, and you didn't give up. Trust me I've lost you enough times to know how that feels, to be numb, but there's still a bit of hope. It's what we do."

Charming led down in the bed, he leant on one of his arms so he could look at Snow. "I told her we'd talk to her tomorrow about everything that happened, if she's well enough, of course." Emma shifted again closer to her dad. "I told her she has a month at least off work."  
"You both need to take some time off so we can get through this together."

"As a family"

"Do we really know any other way?"

Charming turned the bedside light off and led down. "She's going to be really embarrassed she fell asleep in our bed in the morning."

"What's a few more embarrassing memories going to do really?" He chuckled. "Anyway if she's still ill she won't care too much."  
Charming waited a few moments as silence fell, he figured his wife had fallen asleep. He looked up at the ceiling as he whispered to her anyway. "I love you Snow."

"I love you too Charming."


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A continuation of the chapter 'And they all lived happily ever after'

Charming and Snow insisted on Ruth living in the loft with them while they were having a cottage built for her. Although she had at first refused, wanting to give the family their space, her son and daughter-in-law soon convinced her to stay. Emma had been a bit more hesitant around her, however Snow, or Mary Margaret as she was known here, had assured her that Emma would get used to her, .Despite this, Emma had insisted that Ruth took her bed, while Emma slept on the couch. She had quickly adapted to the technology of the new world, and was quickly caught up on how different people were in this realm, however she was still weary of Rumpelstiltskin. One thing that she couldn't get over, was something she had always suspected, her son was an amazing father.

* * *

 

She awoke shortly before sunrise, years of running a farm having left her an early raiser. She crept downstairs, so not to wake up her family, with the intensions of preparing breakfast for her family. She paused on the stairs when she saw a shadow moving in the kitchen, the only light being a small one on the counter.  
"It's okay buddy, daddy's just getting your milk warmed up." The shadow murmmed soothingly.

When Ruth heard her son's voice she gently dropped to sit on the stairs hidden from view, despite the dark she could see the love that he looked at his son with. She couldn't help but remember the way her own husband had been when Ruth was pregnant with David and James. He was ecstatic, despite being poor they both had high hopes for their children, her husband could barely wait to teach them about the things that he thought they should know. Soon, however, they were struggling to get by, they were desperate and were forced to give up one of their children to the Dark One who promised he'd grow up rich and without wanting, and they'd keep their other son but would have enough money to keep their farm without starving. After that, her husband changed. The grief of losing a child, even to give them their best chance, changed him. He turned to alcohol to hide from his feelings, and by doing so pushed himself away from their remaining son. She was torn from her memories when she saw movement appear from the living room. She watched as Emma stumbled to the kitchen, she also seemed to be in her own head as she didn't notice her grandmother on the stairs, or it seemed her father in the kitchen.

"Emma?" Emma jumped at Charming's voice. "Sorry kiddo, I didn't mean to scare you. What are you doing up this early?"

"Hey, did the little bro cry? I didn't hear him."

"I heard him waking up, so I got him before he started to cry and wake your mother up." He smiled down at the baby nestled in his arms who was hungrily drinking the bottle of milk. "But enough distracting," he gave her a knowing look. "What are you doing awake?"

She shrugged slightly, sat down at the counter, and rubbed her eye with her fist.

"Bad dream?" he suggested as he finished feeding his son.

"Mm." Emma hummed in agreement.

Ruth watched as he walked over to place Neal in his crib, before he headed back to Emma in the kitchen.

Charming dropped a kiss on Emma's head before navigating to different kitchen cupboards.

"Hot chocolate?" Emma smirked.

"Don't I always make you hot chocolate?" An identical smirk reflected in his face.

"Yeah." She smiled softly. "What time is it?"

Charming fluidly poured the hot chocolate into two mugs, he scooped up his phone as he twirled with the pot towards the sink. His movements reminded Ruth of the dancers who would sometimes visit her village in her youth. He filled the pot with water, slipped his phone into his pocket, collected the mugs and took his place next to his daughter, he placed a mug in front of Emma, and passed her a pot containing ground cinnamon. "It's about five." He watched as Emma took an appreciative sip of her drink. "Do you want to talk about your dream?"

Emma warmed her hand on her mug. "It's okay. You should probably get some sleep before Neal wakes up again and mom claims it's your turn." She said quietly, knowing her mother had, and would again, do such a thing.

"I will soon, but I'm still on duty." He smiled gently as Emma shot him a confused look. "You're my child too, no matter how old you get: so I'm still on duty."

Emma ducked her head to hide the touched smile which spread across her face. "It's just from when I went back in time, to the olden days."

"The olden days?" he asked raising his eyebrows. "It wasn't that long ago."

"About three decades beg to differ, dad." Emma smiled.

Charming's heart quickened at her calling him dad, since returning from the past she had been doing so, that didn't stop him feeling proud every time she did so. He gave her a comforting smile. "What happened in the 'olden days' in your dream?"

"You and mom didn't know who I was. But then the dream changed to here and none of you guys knew me: you, mom, Henry, even Ruth." Emma said quietly.

Ruth strained her ears listening to Emma's voice. She had to force herself to stay sitting quietly on the stairs, proud she was even included in the list of people.

Charming put his arm around Emma and pulled her into his side. "That's never going to happen kiddo." He pressed his lips to the crown of her head.

"You can't be sure of that."

"You're right, but I can promise to do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen. We all will. Your mother and I, Henry, Neal, and your grandmother; we all care about you, kiddo, more than you'll ever know."

Emma seemed to accept this answer as she fell into silence.

"Em, why don't you go try get some sleep?"

"Nah, it's okay. I'm not tired. I think I may sit up here for a while. Thanks dad."

Charming stared at Emma for a moment as she sat turning her mug. "I think I might stay up too. I'm pretty sure your brother woke me up completely with his crying." If Emma could tell her father was lying she didn't mention it.

Ruth wiped her eyes before tears could fall, she was surprised she had managed to catch a glance at Emma with her 'walls' (as Snow and Charming called them) down. Ruth stood up and started to walk down the stairs, making sure her son and granddaughter could hear her. "Oh!" She said, acting surprised to see the two of them there. "I wasn't aware you were both awake, I was hoping to make you all some breakfast."

"Good morning mother. It's okay I'll get some breakfast started."

"Nonsense David, I shall make it."

"Yeah dad, do as you're told." Emma mocked quietly.

Charming gave a wide smile. "Allow me to help then." He offered, switching on the main light. "And you also have to do as you're told." He said as he turned to Emma. "You're still banned from the kitchen." He reminded her.

"They should have included better instructions." Emma huffed.

"Why aren't you allowed in the kitchen?" Ruth asked Emma kindly as she placed some ingredients on the counter.

"I was trying to be nice and cook my mom and dad a meal, I was making this chicken and pasta thing. I figured that the chicken needed to be cooked first in the oven so I put it in at the highest temperature so it'd cook quickly. Then I put the sauce in the pan from the packet with some water and left it to sort its self out."

"She didn't read the instructions which said that it needed to be stirred." Charming added with laughter in his voice. Ruth and Charming worked naturally together, each taking on part of the breakfast.

"They should have put it in bigger letters!" Emma protested, causing Ruth and Charming to laugh.

Ruth recovered herself from her laughter first. "Well,it doesn't sound that bad." She assured her granddaughter.

"Yeah, that's not the worst of it." Emma said with a guilty smile. "I put the pasta on, but apparently I put too much water in it. I thought that fried bread would go well with it. But I wasn't too sure of how to make it, so I just soaked some bread in oil and put it in the toaster, which kind of didn't work out very well."

"She broke the toaster." Charming injected as he looked at Emma with an eyebrow raised.

"Which I tried to fix!" She protested again. "But I kind of got distracted by trying to fix it." She shot her father a guilty smile. "I didn't realise that there was smoke until mom and dad came in."

"What happened?" Ruth asked worriedly. "Was everyone okay?"

"We were all okay mother." Charming smiled as he poured some pancake mixture into the frying pan.

"The chicken was slightly on fire and the sauce was burnt. I managed to convince, well guilt, my mom to let me finish doing the meal for them. So I added some water to the sauce and stirred it for a bit, then gave them the sauce and pasta noodles without the chicken and fried bread. But, erm, I kind of forgot to drain the pasta properly, so it looked like some weird soup thing with burnt bits of sauce. They tried to eat some of it, but it was inedible, so they banned me from cooking and ordered pizza instead." By the time she had finished talking she started to look a bit embarrassed.

Charming looked at Emma to see the pink rise in her cheeks and start to darken to a red. "I'm sure it would have been nice, Em." He told her gently. "You're allowed to cook, just so long as your mother or I are around. It scared us, to come home to the loft filled with smoke, especially when we didn't see you immediately."

"It's okay, I lack any cooking skill, even cupcakes are out." Emma joked.

"I could teach you, if you'd like?" Ruth offered. "We could even start with cakes."

Emma looked surprised at Ruth's offer, she was just starting to get used to her parents offering to teach her things and offer her advice, it felt weird to have another family member to do the same. "I'd like that, thanks." She smiled.

Ruth's blue eyes glistened when Emma spoke, Ruth gave her the same proud smile which Charming usually send her way, then continued to sort out the breakfast.  
Soon afterwards, Snow entered the kitchen, surprised to see most of her family talking and smiling in there so early in the morning.

* * *

 

Ruth couldn't help but marvel at how well Snow and Charming worked together, and how much they valued their time with their family, both adoring being able to actually raise Neal which they hadn't with Emma. They juggled both of their jobs while trying to be around their family as often as possible, all while overseeing a cottage being built for Ruth. Ruth had volunteered to watch Neal for a few hours a day so the two of them could have schedules where they could actually see each other. They all loved watching how much Neal grew and changed every day, from his hair starting to grow a little longer and darker, to his first smiles and giggles, his babbling, even his crying. They savoured every moment. Ruth had been speaking to Snow who had mentioned that Emma had had a blanket with her name on it which she had treasured as it was from her parents. Ruth had thought it was sweet that Emma still kept it even when she had found her parents, and had asked if they had found it in a village or during a trade mission, or if someone had made it for them. Snow looked around, making sure that no one else could hear them, and whispered that Charming made it, but Emma didn't know – they weren't sure if it would make Emma sad to know and be reminded about what she had missed out on. Ruth nodded in understanding then asked if Neal had one too, Snow looked guilty as she explained the circumstances of her pregnancy with Neal, that they didn't really have time to knit one when they got to Storybrooke. Ruth immediately offered to make one, after all it's what grandmothers' were meant to do.

As she sat knitting a small square she looked up to see Henry staring at her. He gave her an easy smile and moved from where he sat playing on his Xbox, to next to her."Have you always known how knit?" He asked her as he tilted his head slightly.

"I was taught when I was very young, I must have been about four. There wasn't really much to do when I was younger, especially not on the farm, so between doing work, I would take the time to knit, all the children would get taught."

Henry gave her a smile, she found that he often asked both herself and his grandparents what it was like in the Enchanted Forest, she didn't mind talking about it though, it was nice to be able reminisce especially when he was so interested. His smile changed to a mischievous one "Does that mean my gramps knows?"

"Of course!" she chuckled in response.

"Could you maybe teach me? I want to knit Neal something." he asked somewhat nervously.

She beamed at her great-grandson. "Of course I'll teach you! But you're best to start with something small, how about a little square like I'm making?"

Henry was quick to pick up the skill, an hour later he had almost finished the small square, he broke momentarily from his concentration and turned to Ruth once more. "Why _are_ you knitting small squares?"

She placed her knitting down and walked over to the chest which she kept her balls of wool inside. She pulled out a big multicolour patchwork knitted blanket. At the centre of the blanket was a square which was larger than the rest, deep red with a golden yellow 'N' embroiled on. There were nine squares hidden among the other ordinary ones, each one different.

"That's so cool. What do all the pictures mean?" he asked as he gently touched the blanket.

"This navy one with the brown shepherd's crook is for David's father. And this pale yellow one with the sheep on is me, here's Snow and David's royal crest. The pale blue one with the white crown is after Snow's mother, Queen Eva, and this red one with the white lion is for Snow's father, King Leopold."

Henry's eyes fell onto two squares of the exact same shade of red, both with a crown in a slightly lighter red were identical crowns the only difference between the two patches was one showed a sword above the crown, while the over showed an arrow. "Grams and gramps." Henry smiled.

Ruth nodded then pointed at another square, this time a bright yellow one "This one with the swan on it is for Emma. And this one," she pointed to one with a grey and red striped background, a book and pen embroiled upon it, "is your one."

Henry stared at his patch in wonder, he could barely remember the days where he was so alone. When he stared at his blank homework sheet for a family tree and didn't know what to put down. Now he had so much family, the people on his uncle's blanket where just a few of one side. He no longer felt alone. "Thank you." he choked out. "Is it finished?"

"It still needs two more squares." She replied, nodding her head to the gap at the bottom.

"Could… you could use the one I'm knitting, if you like?" he offered.

"I'm sure Neal would love that." She said proudly. "You know, you never got one of these blankets either… I'm sure I could knit you one also. You could even knit some squares for it."

Henry's entire face lit up as he nodded enthusiastically "That'd be so cool! Yeah please!"

"Then I'd love nothing more than that." She smiled back. She looked at the clock before looking back at Henry "You should go get ready to go the stables with David. We can continue with this later."

Henry's eyebrows darted up as he glanced at the clock, surprised at how much time had passed while he was knitting. He smirked at his great-grandmother then bounced up the loft stairs.

-

Ruth moved about the kitchen making herself a cup of tea, as she pottered about a photograph on the fridge caught her eye. She placed the jug of milk down and walked to stand in front of the fridge.   
The photograph was of Snow, Charming, Emma, Henry, Neal, and Ruth, on the night that Ruth and Emma returned from the past. The similarities between Emma and her parents was striking. Her chin was the mimic of her mothers, and Ruth knew if she looked closer she'd see the same sparkling green eyes, she knew from watching Emma that she also shared a lot of her mother's mannerisms, the way both their eyes would widen in wonder, and their lips would thin when angry. On the whole, however, Ruth could see more of her son in Emma, perhaps it was because Ruth knew her son better than she knew Snow. She saw it in the way Emma would cross her arms, her stubbornness, her smile, the way she always put others first often at the expense of herself, although she had heard her son argue that Snow was to blame for that one, she saw him in Emma's hair which was the same colour as his was when he was young. Most of all, however, she saw how their personalities were the same, how Emma completely relied on him – even though often she didn't realise she was doing so.   
That's what made it hurt so much more that Emma seemed to resist letting her get to know her. Henry had accepted her immediately wanting to know what it was like in the Enchanted Forest when she was younger, Neal was only a baby so was happy to see anyone who would smile and babble at him, Charming was just so happy to have his mother back in his life, and she had found that Snow was very much like her and was only too happy for advice.   
Charming and Snow reassured her that Emma wanted to get to know her, but found it hard to let people in, to just give her time, nevertheless it still made Ruth's heart ache slightly.

The opening of the loft door caused her to jump slightly, she moved away from the fridge and carried on busying herself as she heard the frustrated tone of her son and granddaughter entering the loft.

"-never, _ever_ , do that again. We knew for a fact that no one was in immediate danger. If you had waited ten more minutes, instead of charging into a place where King George's knights were fully armed, the dwarves and I would have gone in at the same time as you, and you wouldn't have ended up having a gun pointed at you!" Charming's cheeks were flushed red with anger.

"Why are you still going on about this, it's over, move on. I got us information we needed before they knew I was there. The information that we needed to be able to find where King George had escaped to. So just drop it already." Emma responded annoyed.

" _Emma_ ," Charming said tensely, he breathed in a cooling breath to try and even his temper. "We need to sit down and talk about this. We would have got the information anyway, they were all quick to give up what they knew. What you did was dangerous, there was no reason that you couldn't have waited a few more minutes for us all to get there and get ready. _You're not doing it again_."

"I am _fine_." Emma said through gritted teeth, she walked into the kitchen to avoid looking at her father. "I'm not a child, you can't tell me what I can or can't do."

"No matter how old you are, I'm your father. And, as your father, I'm not going to let you put yourself in danger. So yes, I can tell you what you can or can't do when you're endangering yourself, _especially_ when you're on duty where we're _meant to look out for each other_." He responded heatedly.

" _I am fine."_ Emma repeated.

He counted to ten in his head. "I can see I'm not going to get through to you right now, but this conversation isn't over Emma."

"Well, I'm not going to change how I handled it, so it may as well be over-"

"Emma." He said sternly, forcing Emma to quieten down. " _We will be talking later._ But, right now, I think we both need to calm down. I'm going to take Henry to the stables. We'll talk when I get back."He jogged up the stairs to grab his grandson, before they both left the loft.

Emma sighed as she sat down at the island, she stared at her hands and picked a hangnail on her thumb, causing it to start bleeding. She stared as the crimson blood ran down her thumb. She jumped as a piece of kitchen paper was placed in front of her before the droplet could hit the counter. "Ruth!" she said surprised. "Have you been here since-?"

"You and your father came in?" Ruth finished for her, she placed a cup of tea down in front of Emma. "Yes."

"Oh." Emma said dully as she wrapped her thumb in the paper, then picked up the cup and took a sip. "I'm sorry you heard that."

"It's okay." Ruth took a seat cautiously across from her. "I think David is worries a lot about George, especially recently. Lake Nostos seems to have reminded him how bad he can be. However, I also think that he forgets that you're a lot like him, and that most of the things which you do that scare him, he also did to me."

Emma smirked slightly. "I think he'd disagree, apparently I worry him more than anyone's ever been worried, ever."

Ruth smiled warmly at Emma's sarcastic remark. "I could tell you about one of the times, if you'd like?"

Emma paused for a minute, before obviously deciding there was no harm in hearing one. "Okay."

Ruth pretended to think for a minute however she already knew full well which story to tell Emma. "This one happened when David was about fifteen. We lived a little way out of the village which was run by a very dangerous person. On the other side of the village was a lake where all the children of the village would go to spend time with each other, but the lake was also dangerous, the sides often fell in and the water rose very quickly. No matter how often I told David not to go there, he would ignore me, he'd tell me 'Mother, I'll be fine', and most of the time he was. One day, however, it had been raining heavily the previous night but was sunny by the morning, he decided to go and meet his friends but promised not to go into the water. As soon as he stepped out the door it started raining again, I called for him to come back, but he just waved me off-"

"What! Why did he go if it had been raining a lot?" Emma interrupted aghast, there was no way he would have let her do that as an adult, let alone as a teenager!

"He thought he knew better than I did." She said simply. "After an hour the rain had got heavier and had grown into a storm, but he hadn't returned." She paused as she took in Emma's worried expression, the anger that had been there since she and Charming had come in, was completely gone. "I waited another quarter of an hour to see if he was on his way back, then when he didn't return I loaded up our old horse and cart and set off. It took almost an hour for me to reach the lake as many trees had been blown down. When I eventually got there all the children where stood a bit back from the lake which I had never seen as rough and ferocious as it was. I looked around for David, but I could only find his best friend-"

"-What! Where was dad? Was he okay?" Emma asked quickly her eyes were full of fear at the idea of her father in danger. Ruth gave Emma a comforting smile as she reached across the counter and gently squeezed her hand. As she did so Emma looked slightly less worried, but shot her grandmother a look, imploring her to continue.

"I asked the boy where David was, he told me that one of the younger boys, who was just shy of ten, had fallen in, had been swept towards the centre, and then had been sucked underneath. As soon as your father saw he dove in after the boy, but after a couple of minutes no one had seen either resurface. I stood there, petrified that he wouldn't make it, after what seemed like forever David resurfaced with the boy. They both made it back to side both David and the boy had to catch their breath and were coughing up water…" She trailed off, distracted by her own memory. "When he finished coughing he saw me, smirked, and said to me 'Mother you really do worry too much, I'm fine.' We dropped all the other children off at their houses in the cart, and I told their parents what had happened. All the children promised that they wouldn't go to the lake again, even it didn't seem dangerous, they realised it was. We eventually got back to our cottage and David turned to me, still sopping wet from the river and the rain of the way back, and told me that he would continue to go there. No matter how much I lectured him, he simply told me that he was going to continue going there, that he accepted the risks, but it was his choice."

"Let me guess, he eventually realised that you were right and apologised? And so I should realise that he's right?" Emma asked dryly.

"Actually, I don't think he ever realised I was right: he didn't have to watch his child almost drown." Ruth gave a small laugh. "And, I think that it's up to you to decide what to do next, I simply think you should consider it from his view. If we could have it our way, we parents would be able to wrap our children up and protect them from the rest of the world, your parents even more so. Even when they didn't know that you were their child, when we were back in the past, they were beside themselves with worry for you. I'm simply requesting you see it from you father's view point." She stared at her granddaughter hopefully, cautious that she may had pushed too hard.

Emma sat staring at her hands which she twisted together, the blood on her thumb long since dry. "You know." Emma said slowly, as though attempting to choose her words carefully. "I think he did realise that you were right. We were in Neverland, there was a storm because everyone was arguing, and they wouldn't stop but it was making the storm worse. I decided that the only way to get them to stop would be to jump off of the ship, apparently something hit my head because next thing I knew I was waking up on the ship. My dad was acting a bit weird, when I spoke to him he just said that he realised something that he should have known all along, that my grandmother had told him something about having to watch your child drown… that you were right about him." Emma paused for a minute. Before continuing quietly. "I think that, maybe, my dad was right as well. And I think I've really messed up. He's never usually that angry."

 **"** Emma, sweetheart, you've not. Parents always care more about children's health and wellbeing than their children care. I also think that your father will understand, and he loves and cares about you, no matter what."

* * *

 

"Henry, how do you make it do the flips? Your mom has an unfair advantage?" Snow's voice drifted through to where Ruth and Charming stood preparing drinks and snacks for their family's game night.

"What! No, if you show her you're grounded, kid." Emma protested.

"Henry if she tries to ground you, _I'll ground her._ "

A chuckle from Henry, and a groan of disappointment echoed through the loft.

Ruth couldn't help but smile at their competitiveness, not that she was surprised considering her son's competitiveness.

"Mother?" Charming said softly, forcing her to turn around to look at him. "Emma came and spoke to me when Henry and I got back from the stables." He paused and smiled, mostly to himself, which slowly turned into a smirk. "She said that her 'grandmother' had explained something to her, and that she was sorry that what she did worried me." He paused as Ruth drew in a sharp breath at hearing her granddaughter refer to her in such a way. "Although, I'm not convinced she's sorry about what she actually did, but it's small steps. I just wanted to say, thank you mother, and not just for this." He pulled her into a quick hug.

"You know David, I am so, so proud of you." She watched as he rubbed his hand over the back of his neck in embarrassment. "I'm so proud of the man you've become the brave, selfless, and kind leader you are. The honest protector of this town which you've made into a home, not only for yourself but for your family too. But most importantly you followed your heart and married for love, and you've become a wonderful father and grandfather. I love you so much, and I am so proud of you."

Charming gave her a touched smile with tears in his eyes. "I only became those things because I learnt from the best. You're the one who taught me how to be the parent, and grandparent, I am."


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Emma finds out why David was hesitant to buy Neal a brand new stroller the pair’s relationship falls to ruins. Set post frozen arc.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have any requests for chapters please let me know through comments or message me on Tumblr : loboselinafanfiction or Twitter: loboselinaff

Emma sighed as she changed into some more comfortable clothes. It hurt, the Snow Queen – _Ingrid_ , being gone. She knew that she had wanted Emma to be part of her family, just a replacement for her sister, but she had been happy, or at least happier than any other foster home. Not only that, but now Elsa and Anna had gone, she missed that too – Elsa was her friend and she hadn't really had someone who was just her friend in a while. Regina kind of was, she supposed, in a weird co-parent-but-also-kind-of-step-grandmother kind of way. Before the curse she had had Mary Margaret, but she had turned out to be her mother, she much preferred her as her mother and would never even wish to change that, but she had missed having a _friend_ too.

She had to admit, she really hadn't been a fan of that curse, the curses they had gone through before had been heart breaking, but this one had hurt. She knew that the things that had been said, the things she had overheard, weren't really her parents. It wasn't even really the things said, but the way they had been said.  
 _  
'"I can't believe I had a child with you"'_

' _a'_ … It was a distinctly singular form. She knew her mom didn't mean it, that she was just thinking about the new born at that moment in time, but she had felt a stab in her heart when she had heard that and her dad not disagreeing and reminding her that they have _two_ children.

She shook her head. No, they were cursed, they love her and care about her without the delusions Ingrid had about her being a replacement. She threw on a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, stuff she could sleep in so she wouldn't have to bother with getting changed again in an hour or so. There had been talk of watching a movie with her parents, and that was just what she needed after the past few weeks, she would never admit it but she really did feel better in herself when she spent time with them, that was one of the hardest things when her magic went haywire and she hurt her dad- not being able to run to them.

She started down the stairs and heard her parents talking. She paused at the top of the stairs and sat down, she could hear her parents talking as they moved around the loft, their movements reminded Emma of a dance as did their words. They were perfect together. She did that sometimes. Just sat to listen to her parents, she was completely in awe of them, and was amazed by them. They were completely in love and their banter with each other always brought a smile to her face.

Mary Margaret stoked Neal's cheek then moved over to the kitchen. She felt her husband's arms snake around her waist and she turned around so that they were pressed chest to chest. She pulled him down to her level, tipped her head up, and dragged him into a kiss. She pulled away and smirked as she saw a pout appear on his lips.

"You know," David made sure to keep his voice low as he was sure Emma would be coming back downstairs soon, "we have a tradition whenever we break a curse…" He dipped his head to kiss her again but she slipped out from his arms and he playfully glared at her.

"So," she continued to smirk as she moved around the kitchen, "the stroller's 'used', is it?" She bit her lip as she tried not to laugh at his reaction.

David groaned and threw his head back dramatically, they may have forgiven each other for anything else which had been said during the curse of shattered sight, but he shouldn't have been surprised that that was being brought up. " _Gently_ used." He pointed out.

"Uh huh." She said though she was still smiling. "So, what else is actually second hand?"

David rubbed the back of his head. "I, uh, there's…. it's all good quality." He pointed out. "And the crib was bought new!"

Mary Margaret tilted her head to the side in thought. "I know." She said gently. She could see there was something more to what was going on. "David, I know you got him all good stuff, you adore him and he adores you back. So, what's going on?"

David turned back around to face his wife. "When you were pregnant with Emma we had brand new things specially made for her, the best in all of the land, I-" He spluttered to a stop.

"Well, we can't really do that here, _David_ , please- just" she frowned in confusion. "Why are you so afraid of getting brand new things, it's not like we're just going to up and abandon the-"

"-What if we do?" He asked suddenly and insistently. "What if we get sucked back through another portal or, or yet another curse? What if we all end up back in the Enchanted Forest?"

"David." She sighed sympathetically.

"I know, I know I'm being stupid, but… I can't stop thinking of all the things we had ready for Emma, she didn't get to use them but they were better than most of the best things you can possibly get here."

"You want to go back?"

"No, I .. I love it here too, but I… I want to be with my family, no matter where that is, and if it came down to us choosing if Emma were to choose here I would insist on us staying, we're not being split up again. It's just with suddenly finding ourselves back in this town after being in the Enchanted Forest again, then seeing Kristoff, I can't help but get caught with the what-ifs."

Mary Margaret nodded her understanding. "So, go through them."

"What?"

"You're scared, and I get that I really do, so go through the fantasy of what it would be like raising Neal there, tell me what you would want if we were still there, then after tell me about what you want here." She suggested, she had felt the same way and had found that technique had worked.

Emma hadn't heard anything past David pointing out that the crib was bought new, she figured that she was missing out on more of banter (and she was fairly certain that she wouldn't be completely traumatised by whatever she was missing), so she started quietly down the stairs and stood a little away from the bottom of the metal case. She held in a laugh when she realised that neither had noticed her as they had their backs to her.

"I want him to be happy. We were already trying to prepare Emma's old nursery into one for him, though I doubt we'll let him leave our sides until he's about five." He chuckled. "We can teach him to walk there, to talk, to count, to read. He'll go out on the horses with us as soon as he's able, then when he's older we can teach him to ride his very own horse, he'll probably be a natural like you, Henry, and I are. He'll be the prince of an entire kingdom, with feasts every night, he won't see anything scary in the world, he'll live in a castle where he knows the nooks and crannies even better than we do. He'll have the best tutors though he'll like his mom teaching him things best, his nursery would be made up of only the best things, he'll get the best presents at Christmas and on his birthdays. He'll want for nothing… We could have the life we always dreamed of, always envisioned…We could be a really happy family if we moved back there."

The floor creaked as Emma shifted her weight to prepare to flee back to her room. Her parents turned to face her but by the time they did she already had a smile plastered onto her face, it didn't quite reach her eyes, but they didn't notice or suspect.

David's face lit up as it always did when he saw his daughter, he was totally irrevocably in love with her, with both of his children in a way which he didn't realise was possible until Mary Margaret was pregnant with Emma. "Hey, kid, I can get some popcorn ready for the movie, you can go pick it out, I would let you help but I don't want it to be set on fire again-"

"- Actually, I'm pretty tired." She told them though she mainly looked at her mother she couldn't bring herself to look at David after what she had just heard him say. "I'm just gonna get some sleep I think."

"Oh, okay." Mary Margaret smiled at her and walked closer to her, hugged her and pecked her on the cheek. "Goodnight sweetie, get some sleep."

"Goodnight mom." Emma smiled. "Night." She called in David's general direction then raced up the stairs, into the sanctuary of her bed.

* * *

 

*OUAT*

* * *

Since that night Emma had seemed more and more distant at first he thought that she was just grieving Ingrid's death and Elsa leaving, so he gave her as much space as she wanted. But as the time went on he realised that she only seemed distant with him, she was the same as ever with Mary Margaret, closer even. He had tried to convince his wife that something was going on, but it was only when Emma started to walk out of the room when he was there that she believed him, but she also knew it was between the two of them to sort out. So she arranged to take Neal out for the day, on a day she knew that neither David or Emma would be at the station or had any plans.

On the day in question Emma had walked down the stairs from her room, saw him there alone, then walked back up them. When she came back down she was dressed as though she were going out.

"Hey, Emma," David called over forcing himself to be cheerful but his voice was mainly filled with hope and tinged with a mixture of fear and worry, "your mom took Neal to go see Ashley and Alexandra and I know you're not working so I figured we could spend some time with each other, we could watch a movie or we could- we could play on Henry's game system, I've been practicing so I'll be able to be-"

"I'm going out with Hook." She said shortly and just continued to get ready to leave. She wasn't actually, after overhearing everything her father had said about him wanting his perfect fairy tale ending in the Enchanted Forest with her mom and brother… well needless to say she hadn't really wanted anyone's company.

"Oh." David's excited face fell, such an extreme fall that he couldn't hide it, but he still tried. "Right. Of course. Have-"

Emma walked out of the door and closed it hard behind her.

"-fun." David finished in a sigh to the empty loft.

*OUAT*

Since then Emma had only grown more aloof, she barely spoke two word sentences to him, she was even avoiding being at the loft on the off chance that he was there. And he knew that it was definitely him who she had a problem with as she was fine with Mary Margaret, though naturally she refused to talk about it or even admit that anything was going on. David had found himself needing to hold onto Neal even more than Mary Margaret had when he had first been born. At least he couldn't do something to Neal yet to make him completely hate him. He missed Emma.

Working at the station was hellish, on both of them.

David wasn't giving up on Emma, he never would, he loved her; she was his first born, his only daughter, his baby. He didn't need a curse to know that they shared true love… But he was becoming exhausted trying to constantly get her to talk to him about what was up, or to just talk, hell her reacting to his general existence seemed like it would be a miracle right about then. So he decided to give it one last chance. After that it was up to her.  
"I'm going to go on patrol now, if you want to join." She didn't even blink. "Em. Emma. Emma!" He felt his temper grow. "Emma what the hell is wrong with you-?"

"I'm filling out my _fucking_ paperwork like you're _always_ nagging me to do, David! What the hell else do you want from me!?" She shouted back, interrupting his sentence as she did so. She didn't even notice the slip in using his name not calling him dad.

David's mouth had fallen open when Emma had started to shout at him, after a beat of silence hung in the air, he closed his mouth and set it into a firm line. "Nothing, Sheriff Swan, absolutely nothing." His voice was hard as though he were talking to a disgruntled co-worker.  
Emma may have been a master at putting up walls, but she wasn't the only one, David had been pretty good at putting up certain walls himself during his younger years.  
" _I'm_ going to go on patrol, then if it's all clear _I'm_ going to go home and spend time _with my wife and son_ , if that's good with you?"

He didn't use the word child, after all he had two children even if one of them seemed to have no intention of being in the same room as him anymore, so he used the word son. He didn't use the word child, but it was the one that Emma heard.

Emma scoffed, she looked back down at the file, and shook her head. "Whatever." She muttered.  
She was exhausted. She hadn't been sleeping well, or at all, she kept waiting for the other foot to drop – to suddenly be kicked out or wake up and find that everyone was gone. So she spent most of her time at the station, or the woods, or just driving. She barely even stopped to eat.

She jumped as she heard the station door slam shut after David, so she added her nerves being shot to her various list of ailments.

* * *

 

*OUAT*

* * *

 

Mary Margaret wanted to bang David and Emma's heads together, to knock some sense back into them and get them back to normal, but that would require them to be within the same room for more than ten seconds. It was killing her, she hated to see them like this, after all, Emma had always been so close to her dad. As soon as the first cure had broken Emma had become so close so quickly it was just like Mary Margaret had always envisioned her daughter being a daddy's girl, and David was wrapped around Emma's finger. But now everything was wrong, they were completely out of sync, it broke her heart to see it.

She had to come up with a plan. Emma was avoiding even being home, and she could see how grumpy David was, especially after work where he told her that Emma had changed her shifts. After a couple more days she found out from Henry that Emma was avoiding everyone, including him, she needed to get her loved ones' relationship repaired before it was unable to be fixed, or before Emma ran.

She called in Henry's help, Emma may be avoiding spending her leisure time with anyone, but they all knew she would come in an emergency, and although David was acting differently too Mary Margaret knew that the same approach would work wonders with him - the two were much more alike than they'd ever admit.

* * *

 

*OUAT*

* * *

 

Mary Margaret was already at the station when she rang David's cell, she put on her best 'terrified mother' voice, which she had had a lot of practice doing, as soon as she heard him answer she began. "David! Quick I need you. Neal's ... something's wrong, I think he's ill or something, I came to the station to see you- no I already called for help but I need you here plea-" She didn't have to even finish the sentence to hear that David was on his way, she felt a little mean as she looked at her son smiling in front of her, but needs must.

* * *

 

*OUAT*

* * *

 

On his bed in Mifflin Street Henry dialled his mom's number, his other mom was there too, and she had agreed to help him by casting a voice changing spell on the device. As soon as Emma picked up Henry began, though the voice changer made him sound weaker and sick, he knew hit was pretty harsh to scare her, but how she was acting was scaring him too.

"Mom, help, I need you, I need your help, I'm at the station, I-" He hung up before she could get a word in but he knew that she had heard it.

Regina smiled at him and stood up from the bed. "I'll be back in a minute, I just need to lock those two idiots into the station."

* * *

 

*OUAT*

* * *

 

David and Emma got there at the same time but Regina and Mary Margaret were both waiting.  
Emma had started to drive over but she had realised halfway through speeding there that there was a quicker way, she pulled over and transported herself there using her magic, ending up in the jail cell as it was the easiest place for her to visualise.

David had been closer to the station when Mary Margaret had called so he had managed to race through the doors and into the bullpen as the slight crackle of Emma's appearance rang.

They both looked at each other with a frown, both assuming that the other was there for who they were, but they didn't speak to one another even then and instead looked around. They didn't see Neal or Henry. Instead they saw Regina raise her hands, a shimmer appeared creating a barrier stopping them from going five foot beyond the desks only able to stay in the bullpen or the cells not able to get to the interview room or the sheriff station, sealing David and Emma in.

"Regina, what the fuck?" Emma shouted. "Where's Henry? Why the hell are you putting a barrier up?"

Regina just raised an eyebrow. Mary Margaret appeared at her side, her eyebrow was also raised but it wasn't just at Emma's language but how exhausted she looked.

"Mary Margaret, what's going on, you said that Neal-" His brow was furrowed in confusion and worry.

"Neal's fine." She assured him somewhat icily when she realised that he wasn't even looking at Emma. "You two are going to stay in here until you've made up."

"Mary Mar-"

"Mom!"

"No." She said firmly. "We'll know when you've made up. I don't know what's going on with you two, but it is making you two miserable and I can't bear to watch you two like this, so you're both in here until you act like the mature adults you claim to be."

With that Regina and Mary Margaret walked out the room. David kicked a spinning chair in frustration, he had been so worried something had happened to Neal, and instead he was just trapped.

Emma had a similar, if slightly more magical, reaction to the situation. She started to throw the fireballs at the barrier in the hopes that it would break but they didn't even make a dent in Regina's magic.

David sighed as he turned to see his daughter throwing fireballs at the barrier. "Emma, you can't just try to blast your way out of these situations."

"I can try." She muttered through her teeth. She started to fire them with more vigour, her anger fuelling her magic, but her exhaust from not sleeping barely even let her magic come out as wisps.

"Emma." David sighed again in frustration. But then her hands dropped and she fell to the ground. "Emma!" His voice was filled with alarm as he ran over to her.

"I'm fine. Leave me alone." She sat herself up and scooted back up to lean against the base of one of the desks. She knew she hadn't been speaking to him, but he had basically told her he was spending time with his family and deliberately left her off the list.

David rolled his eyes and shook his head, she had just fallen to the ground but she wouldn't even admit that she wasn't fine, but no matter how distant they had been from each other recently he would never just leave her. Even if she had called him 'David' then not spoke to him since. He walked over to one of the filing cabinets which Emma never even glanced at let alone went in, he kept some snacks and drinks in there things which he knew Emma liked, either for when the pair were working late or whenever Mary Margaret was trying to get Emma to eat healthier. He grabbed a couple of soda cans and a couple of candy bars.

He walked back over, he placed the drinks and snacks on the top of the desk, then crouched in front of her. "What happened? You don't normally faint when you use your magic. What the hell happened?"

"Why do you care?" She muttered bitterly.

David shook his head in frustration. "Because, I'm your _father_. It's 'dad' Emma, not 'David', _'dad'_. It's my job to care about you." He was still hurt from the last time they had spoken and she had called him David.

Emma looked down, she was frustrated herself but she could feel tears starting, but she couldn't run from the station in fact she was currently too weak to make it up from where she was sat. "When it suits you."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He shouted, when she stayed silent, he sighed. He hadn't really been dealing with all of this in the best way, neither of them had, but he was the parent in the relationship. He sighed again. "Emma," he tipped her chin up to force her to look at him, "please tell me what it is that I've done. I can't fix or explain anything until I know what's going on, plea-"

"You're leaving! You're just like the rest of them, you're going to leave and have your happily ever after, and you're going to leave _me_." All the pain and frustration, hurt and anger of the past few weeks finally made its way to the surface.

David just looked at her with complete confusion. "Emma what are you talking-"

"Why does Neal have a second hand stroller?"

It took David a second but then everything was clear. He tilted his head forward and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Em-"

"No. Just… I…" She had no idea what to say or what to feel.

"Emma," he cupped her face with his hands forcing her to stay looking at him willing her to see that he was telling her the truth, "I promise you that I will _never_ leave you. I would never _want_ to leave you, I never have wanted to, and I'm never going to let it happen again."

Emma bit her lip, she was terrified that he was lying to her, but at the same time he didn't look like he was. So instead she looked away from his eyes, though with David's hands still on her cheeks she could only look down at his lips.

"Since I found out that your mother was pregnant with Neal I've been absolutely terrified." He admitted. That got Emma looking at him, a small smile tugged at his mouth when he saw her look of worry and confusion, so he sent her a loving smile back. "I thought I'd mess it up, I always worry about my _kids_ , then when we got back and were getting everything for the baby I was worried that we were only here temporarily I didn't want Neal to get attached to things which could go so quickly, especially with the confusion over the memory loss." His thumb stroked her cheek. "But that was when he was first born, I hadn't even thought about it until your mom mentioned it the other week… which I'm guessing you overheard?"

Emma looked a little sheepish at that. She swallowed but continued to frown slightly in confusion. "But… but you were saying about what you, mom, and Neal were going to do." She stated like a question.

"I did because that's what your mom told me to focus on for that moment in time, she got me to think about how we would raise Neal in the Enchanted Forest, then how we would in Storybrooke. She could tell I was becoming worried again so she was helping me not freak out, then once I had calmed down some more we thought about what would happen if we had the whole family in the two places."

"How'd she know that would work?" Emma asked curiously though she was clearly trying to come to term with things. She figured it would probably work as a strategy to not freak out.

He smiled back at her, they weren't quite back to how they normally were and he still had to find out what had been going on while he and Mary Margaret hadn't seen her. "It's worked before. We used to go through it a lot, together, when your mother was pregnant with you." He pushed some hair back behind her ear. "I'm pretty sure we came up with an outcome for every situation possible, I'm pretty sure there was a time your mom thought you'd be born with gills or something." A grin broke on his face when he heard his daughter's small laugh. "I'm serious, there was a plan where you were raised as a mermaid, I was trying to find out the best mermaid preschools for you until eventually your mom realised she was being silly."

Emma smiled, she forgot that her parents would have had loads of plans for her, plus the technique her parents used seemed to make sense. She felt kind of ridiculous for not realising what was going on in the conversation she overheard, and for overhearing it in the first place, she internally reprimanded herself.

But David could understand why she had misunderstood, he didn't hold it against her for listening to his and Mary Margaret's conversation, they often caught her watching their conversations and looked like she enjoyed them there was always a fond look on her face. He was more concerned with how she was looking at that present moment in time. He brushed his thumbs over the purple bags under both of Emma's eyes.  
"I think I know why you fainted, now. You look exhausted already, no wonder your magic took even more out of you, how much sleep did you get last night?"

Emma squirmed a little, she hated being the centre of concerned attention, but she also hated being centre of attention.

David frowned. "Okay so no sleep last night? How about the night before? How about eating, you've been eating right" He was met with more silence. He heaved a sigh. "Emma Swan, you are banned from leaving the loft until you get several days worth of sleep and eat five feasts worth of food."

"Dad!"

"I'm serious. And you have to put up with your mother and I fussing over you. Starting now." He reached up and grabbed one of the cans and candy bars. "Eat this and drink this."

"Dad, seriously, I'm fine it was just a few days and I caught a couple of hours sleep in my car, I've been in worse-"

David raised a challenging eyebrow. "You wanna keep arguing me or do you want me to go and take you to the hospital where they can keep you in overnight and your mom can freak out more."

She snatched the candy bar from him, they were already falling back into their usual routine, and resuming their usual relationship. "You suck." She grumbled she tore open the bar and started to eat.

"Oh, I know." David mocked sympathy as he opened the soda for her. "Now drink your soda and eat your candy. Then I'll call Mary Margaret, we'll all go home, and your mom won't kill me for giving you candy and soda."

Emma rolled her eyes playfully but did as she was told. "She knows that I'm an adult, right?"

David smirked, she was their child, they knew that she was an adult but they would always see their baby girl. "Well, you have a child's appetite, and you act like a five year old when you lose computer games." He grinned at the fake clear she was sending him. "Act like an adult and we'll treat you like one."

Emma rolled her eyes again. "You've been waiting to use that one since before I was born, right?" She carried on eating her candy and drinking her soda, the sugar was helping her feel not so feeble and her dad had moved to sit at her side.  
"I'm tired dad." She mumbled as she led her head against him, immediately he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"I know you are kid." His hand rubbed her arm and she began to settle. He just looked down at her for a while, watching her with relief. Soon he could hear the gentle yet steady breathing which clearly indicated that she had fallen asleep. He carried on watching until finally he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket.

He looked down at his cell in his hand then at his daughter cuddled to his chest. He placed the phone onto the floor beside him. He could hold off calling his wife to let them out for a little while, he knew that Emma could do with sleeping in her bed instead of her car, but she was fine for the time being. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and smiled as she snuggled closer to him. They'd be okay, their family, no matter what life threw at them.


	26. Breakfast in Bed (Mother's Day)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emma tries to make breakfast in bed for her mother while trying to figure out whether to give her a risky mother's day present or not. Mama Snow and Daddy Charming. Set as a kind of AU some time after the curse after the curse breaks in S1. Also any evidence of Emma being able to boil water without it spontaneously bursting into flames in the show is clearly fake.

Emma Swan had no idea how to do this. The whole cooking thing, the whole daughter thing, the whole _Mother’s Day_ thing. But she was trying.

 

Emma had spent the day before being treated by Henry and that night he had gone to Regina’s to spend the actual Mother’s Day with her, Emma understood after all he had traditions which had formed long before she had come around, if anything she was jealous she hadn’t been able to form such traditions with her mother. So, she figured she should probably try to come up with something, she had laughed at herself when she had actually googled ‘things to do for Mother’s Day’, but that didn’t stop her from trying to follow some of the advice. But that meant waking up early, which Emma never did, if she had to go to work early she’d often just pull an all-nighter and load herself with caffeine. But she would wake up early for this, for her mom.

 

She was starting to think that she really wasn’t cut out for the whole daughter on Mother’s Day thing, at least if she was younger she could have just made her a macaroni picture, dumped some paint on a handmade card, and picked some flowers or something. But no, she had to have her first ever Mother’s Day at the age of twenty-eight. What did people her age even do? Surely most of them were so used to them that they already had traditions, or it was acceptable to just give them a give a card or a mug or something, but this was her first Mother’s Day she _had_ to do something special. She already had one present for her mother, though she wasn’t really sure if she would give it to her or not, she wasn’t sure how her mother would feel about it so she might just keep it a secret.

 

Breakfast in bed was a go to Mother’s Day treat, apparently, so Emma woke up early stuck a huge pot of coffee on and got to work. Their kitchen was always well stocked, something which Emma was still getting used to even after the year with Mary Margaret, even her apartment in Boston was mainly empty of food which wasn’t microwavable, frozen, or takeout leftovers. She grabbed a few eggs from the carton, she wasn’t sure if her mom and dad (she couldn’t leave him out) preferred fried or scrambled eggs so she figured she could do both.

 

She pulled up a few recipes on her phone and began to flick through the tabs. She was pretty sure whenever her mom or dad made breakfast it took forever, though that might be because she was still sleepy in the morning, so she set the hob as high as it could go. She read the instructions on the scrambled egg and frowned. “Crack the eggs into the bowl, add a pinch of salt and pepper, stir, then add to the pan.” She rolled her eyes. “That’s stupid, why would I bother to pour it into a bowl when I could just do all that in the pan?” She cracked all four of the eggs carelessly into the pan, not thinking to take out the bits of shell, she grabbed the salt and pepper and shook out a large amount into her hand and threw it all onto the eggs. “Who the hell measures in pinches?” She sneered and quickly scrambled the eggs in the pan. She added some oil to another pan and cracked three eggs in it. “That’s easy.” She shrugged, perhaps the whole cooking thing was easier than everyone made out.

 

“And now for the better parts of the meal.” She muttered as she grabbed the bread from the breadbin and the sausages and bacon from the fridge. She dumped them all down on the counter. She didn’t often make toast, in fact she last made some when she was a teenager probably no more than fifteen, she would much rather eat a bear claw or other sweet treats than cook for herself even if that cooking was only toast. She put in as many slices of bread as she possibly could fit in the toaster and set the timer on the toaster for ten minutes, that was about how long it seemed to last when she last made it. She half-filled another frying pan with oil and dumped several rashers of bacon and several sausages, she knew it was pretty full but then things were bound to shrink by the time they were cooked.

 

She poured some coffee for herself into a mug, then half-filled that with her usual creamer and about a hundred spoonsful of sugar. She jogged up the stairs to get dressed for the day.

 

 

~OUAT~

 

When she got down the stairs it was only a few minutes later, but everything had changed, and not for the better. She stopped on the staircase, her mouth fell open, and she stayed frozen on stairs.

 

David came racing in. “Emma! What the hell happened? Are you okay?” He shouted as he ran to grab the fire blanket. He placed it on the toaster and smothered the flames. He looked back at Emma his eyes wide and insistent. “Emma, _are you okay_?” He shouted again and watched her her eyes didn’t leave the kitchen, he figured she was probably just in shock. He heard his wife follow him into the kitchen and announce her arrival with a gasp but he was too busy to turn around and greet her. He grabbed a cloth and picked up the boiling hot pan of spitting sausages and bacon and threw it into the sink and turning the cold tap on full, he did the same with the fried egg, then the charcoal which was once scrambled egg followed it. The he turned to his daughter, his heart was almost beating out of his chest, and his hands were on his hips.

 

“Emma, what were you doing?” Snow pulled her robe tighter around herself as she stared at the carnage of the kitchen. “Why are you cooking? You don’t cook…” She glanced at the toaster as David pulled the fire blanket from it. “Did you break the toaster, _again_? I thought we agreed to never touch it again after the last time.”

 

Snow’s words spurred Emma to action. She headed straight for the door, the documents and card burning a hole in her hoodie pocket. Her mom hadn’t even noticed it was Mother’s Day, or maybe she did, maybe she just didn’t think they were there in their relationship, maybe she was still more of her roommate than her mother. After all she had only about a month before started to call David and Snow dad and mom, and even then she would sometimes slip, accidentally but she could see the quickly veiled hurt on their faces whenever she would do so. That idea terrified Emma most of all. “I’m… We need new pots.” She mumbled as she fled the scene.

 

 

~OUAT~

 

Emma didn’t get back to the loft for a long while, it was night when she finally opened the door handle, and late enough that she knew that her parents wouldn’t be awake. Or at least that was the plan. Her parents, unlike herself, were more ‘early to bed early to rise’ than night owls. But when she closed the door she realised the lights were still on. She had forgotten the card and mug she had bought her mom earlier, when she had seen how many missed calls and texts she had from her parents, in the car but she still had the other present. She barely had time to breathe before she was wrapped in a loving but firm hug.

 

David’s hand cupped the back of Emma’s head. They had been searching for her all day, they only knew she was still in the town because people kept getting glances of her car, they had come back to the loft to get a couple of hours rest before they formed a search party. David had forced Snow to go to bed and try and get some sleep, but he had stayed on the couch, waiting and praying that Emma would come home. It was he who had realised why Emma was cooking, he was sure Snow would have realised if the roles were reversed and it was Father’s Day instead, Snow had just never imagined in her wildest dreams that Emma would try to do something so special (though even a bunch of flowers would mean to the world to her).

 

He was surprised when Emma didn’t pull away but stayed in his embrace, eventually though he moved her back, holding onto her arms still, he bent his knees a little so he could look her in the eye, he examined her face making sure that she wasn’t in pain or injured, there was no reason she would be, but it was a father’s prerogative. When she finally met his eye he spoke. “Please don’t ever, ever, disappear like that again, Emma.” He half ordered half begged.

 

Emma wasn’t sure why she had ever been hesitant to go home when she looked at her father, he always made her feel calm, though she was still waiting for the other foot to drop, an old habit which was almost impossible to break. “I’m sorry.” She mumbled.

 

“It’s okay, kid.” He accepted easily. He pulled her into another hug and felt her relax in his arms. He sighed out the worry which had built up. He pressed a kiss to the top of her golden curls. He sighed again though this time it was contently. “You’re going to give me grey hair one of these days.” They both pulled back, a mutually exclusive yet unsaid decision, and when David let go of her he found her looking at him expectantly and lost. “Your mom’s in the bedroom, she’s still awake, she’s been so worried about you.”

 

Emma nodded her head, she heard the order of ‘go talk to your mother’, so she turned around and headed to the curtains which the light of the room was spilling out. As she walked there she wasn’t sure what the reaction would be, whether she would just wait by the doorway, whether she would be shouted at for ruining the kitchen.

 

But as soon she went through the curtain it was as though a curse had been broken, clarity came upon her, she strode over to her mom and sat beside her on the bed. Before she could think of anything else she was pulled into yet another hug. She was pressed tight to her mother, her mother’s signature way of hugging her, and she ducked her head to rest on Snow’s shoulder.   
“I’m sorry mom.” She mumbled, she was shushed as her mom slowly rocked her, but she couldn’t find herself disliking it in the slightest.

 

Eventually, Snow pulled back a little, she placed her hands on Emma’s cheeks and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry sweetie.” She watched Emma’s face change and it was clear to her that her daughter understood what she meant by that.

 

Emma half shrugged, her mom hadn’t expected anything, she internally berated herself for acting rashly. She should have spent at least a few seconds explaining what it was she had done, she had been cooking (or trying to cook) the breakfast, without expecting her disorientated mother who had only just woke up to their kitchen close to being set on fire to realise what was happening straight away. Though she also knew her mom understood why she did disappear too, it had been 28 years, they were still getting used to life as a family.   
“S’okay. I’m sorry you didn’t get your breakfast in bed.”

 

Snow fixed her with a firm look. “Just the idea of the breakfast in bed is enough for me.” That was probably good as the food which wasn’t on fire look inedible.

 

“I got you something else, kind of, well I mean I got you an _actual_ one but I left it and your card in my car, but I also got you something else, it’s stupid but-“

 

“Emma.” Snow stopped her spluttering. “I doubt very much it’s stupid. Please can I have my present now?” she knew if she didn’t ask for it Emma would lose confidence.

 

Emma reached into her pocket and pulled out the blank envelope. She passed it over to her mother.

 

“Thank you.” Snow smiled, she carefully opened the envelope and tipped out the contents into her lap. Inside was Emma’s social security card and two birth certificates. She suddenly remembered Emma looking intently at David’s and her own, Regina had reissued them all with ones with whichever names they preferred, their Enchanted Forest names were the new ones or they could keep their cursed ones. David and Snow had taken their Enchanted Forest ones, though as surnames weren’t really common in the Enchanted Forest they both now had the surname ‘Charming’.   
And that was what Emma’s social security card now said. “Emma Ruth Charming.” Snow read out loud, her voice breaking. “Oh, Emma, that’s… that’s wonderful. I don’t know what to say. Thank you.” She put all of her love into those last two words and saw Emma’s face light up.

 

“I had to do my social security card for the world outside of Storybrooke, but I got Regina to help me with this birth certificate, I think Henry might have convinced her a little. But I needed the Enchanted Forest date and what yours and dad’s were there. And the this one has this worlds dates and stuff.”

 

Snow smile widened as Emma chattered away. She subtly brushed tears from her eyes, her girl really had thought of everything. She traced Emma’s full name on the certificate with the Enchanted Forest’s dates, she had never really thought of that before, Emma hadn’t had the chance to have an official birth certificate made back in their realm, one hadn’t even been drawn up as she was born early. She carefully took the birth certificates from her lap and placed them on the bed. She pulled Emma into her arms. “I love you.” She whispered and felt Emma squeeze her tighter, it meant the same thing, Emma just wasn’t quite ready to say the actual words yet.

 

They stayed in their embrace for a few minutes, Snow had started to think that Emma had fallen asleep, but Emma finally pulled away.

 

“So, do we get to tell your father?” Snow asked hopefully.

 

“I was thinking of waiting ‘til Father’s Day, that way I can save on buying an actual present.” She joked back.

 

“Hmm, that would work if he hadn’t been listening to our conversation behind the curtain since you stepped foot in here.”

 

Emma grinned and rested her head upon Snow’s shoulder. “Dad, you can come in here now.”

 

David entered the room wearing a sheepish grin, though the excitement was clearly winning the fight for dominance on his face. He strode over and sat on Emma’s other side on the bed. He wrapped his arm around his girls’ shoulders and tilted his head so he could read the social security card and the birth certificates. After staring at it for a about a minute he pressed a kiss to Emma’s temple.  
“You’ll have to get a new driver’s licence, too.” He reminded her, his voice showing how overjoyed he was by Snow’s present.

 

“Yeah, I’ll just magic that one up too, it’s not like I ever had a real one I can’t really be bothered going through all the hassle of getting my first one.“ Emma chuckled.

 

David and Snow both frowned.

 

“What do you mean?” David demanded.

 

At the same time Snow asked. “Emma, have you never passed your driver’s test?”

 

Emma bit her lip to hide the smile on her face at her parents’ reactions, they were so _parental_ it was kind of nice to have that. “I was a foster kid, most of them don’t really bother to give you anything other than two meals a day and something to sleep on. But I figured out how to on my own, over the years.” She felt her parents hold on her tighten. “Then Neal helped me get a fake licence. I know how to drive so it’s not really a big deal, I can just magic a new one up.”

 

Snow and David shared a look, having a silent conversation as they often did, then Snow held out her hand to Emma. “Emma Ruth Charming, car keys, please.”   
Using her official new (or old depending how you looked at it) was a little weird for all of them but it felt right, Emma stopped trying to hide her smile, and even more miraculously she dug them out of her pocket and handed them over. Snow put them in a box on her bedside table without moving out of the cuddle Emma probably didn’t realise was happening around her.   
“Your father can teach you how to drive properly and you can take an _actual_ drivers test.”

 

Emma rolled her eyes, playfully, was this how it was going to be from now on? She’d be lying if she said she hated it. “You’re not getting your place back.” She told David instead she noticed him somehow both beaming and frowning at the prospect of teaching her how to drive and the fact that she had never officially learnt. “I’m comfy.”

 

David smirked when he realised she meant the bed. “Okay, but I’m stealing one of the quilts and some cushions, that couch isn’t comfortable.”

 

“You could always stay here.” Emma shrugged. “You’re warm.”

 

David kissed the top of her head at the same time Snow kissed her cheek. They both knew it was Emma’s way of saying she wanted both of her parents there, it was adorable, they also figured she’d be asleep fairly soon so they just continued to cuddle her quietly.

 

David and Snow shared another look above Emma’s head.

Snow’s look was clear to read: ‘Best Mother’s Day ever’.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts warminly accepted - through here, my ff.net account (https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11032165/1/Charming-Family-drabbles), or through my tumblr account (loboistrash.tumblr.com). Kudos and comments very much appreciated!


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